


Legacy

by jadesolo



Series: The Adventures of Rey Solo [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Betrayal, Finn-centric, Force Visions, Force-Sensitive Finn, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Lightsaber Battles, Male-Female Friendship, POV Multiple, Reunions, female villian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2018-06-02 13:23:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6568045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadesolo/pseuds/jadesolo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>General Organa sends Poe and Finn to meet an informant about a data chip with a list of potential new bases, but when the pair arrive to Naboo to collect the information, they're ambushed by the First Order.</p><p>Rescued by an old friend of Poe's, they escape to Yavin 4, where a new enemy awaits them...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Visions of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Basically the idea of Poe and Finn going on a mission together Post-TFA has been something I've been wanting to do forever, so here we are. This also takes part in my Rey Solo AU and is the direct continuation ofAwakening. 
> 
> Major thanks to hanorganaas [Theladymore] for being an amazing beta reader and editor, for constantly showing support for this series and threatening me with angst if I don't write. And major thanks to leiastars, who constantly helps me with plot and important stuff such as titles. 
> 
> And of course, a huge thanks to everyone in theprincessandscoundrelnet as you all started this wild series.

_Fire and snow. Screaming of TIE fighters above, explosions roaring in the distance. A shearing pain, running up along his spine, white hot and agonizing-_

Finn woke up with a gasp, nearly bolting upright and smacking his head on some sort of arch-looking thing over his head-a brain scanner of some sort. He thought dazedly-but a pair of hands pushed him gently back onto the bed.

“Go easy, buddy. Don’t want to work that back too much.”

Finn’s eyes, blurry from the bright light, finally focused on the familiar and friendly figure of Poe Dameron. His dark hair was as tousled as usual and most of his injuries, which had been inflicted by interrogators of the First Order, had healed. The only sign left of his injuries was a small scar under his right eye.

“Poe-” Finn gasped, voice raspy. How long had he been out? Then another thought struck him and he bolted upright again, this time succeeding in smacking his head on the brain scanner. “Where’s Rey?”

“She’s fine, she’s alive. She’s, um…” Poe trailed off, eyebrows hunching together. “She’s on a mission. To bring back Luke.”

Disappointment fell over him like a shadow. She was gone. She’d left and he hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. He didn’t get the chance to thank her for giving him a chance when everyone else-well, everyone except Poe-would’ve turned their nose up at him or worse.

His disappointment must’ve showed because Poe’s demeanor changed completely. “She’s going to be back soon though. She left me this,” he pulled a disc from his pocket. “Said to give it to you when you woke up. It’s kind of pointless to give it to you now, though. Beebee-Ate’s somewhere chatting away with Snap and Jessika and Kalonia will kill me if I let you up to use one of the terminals-”

“Poe,” Finn interrupted, surprised at how much the pilot could babble, “did...did he hurt her?”

The smile that had started to spread across Poe’s features disappeared completely at the mention of ‘him’. The he in question was Kylo Ren, the vile and unhinged Knight of Ren, who had been, once upon a time, a young boy named Ben Solo: Rey’s brother.

For a very long time, only a select few knew of this information: Rey’s parents, obviously, Lando Calrissian, Luke Skywalker, and Poe. General Leia Organa and her husband, the infamous war hero, Han Solo, had told Poe their darkest secret, in the vain hope that he could keep their daughter safe.

However, their secret had finally come out during Rey and Finn’s final confrontation with Kylo Ren; after that was mostly a blur. Finn vaguely remembered battling Kylo with a lightsaber but then everything went fuzzy. Just feelings of intense pain, of being weightless, of the gentle rush of the ocean….

Before he could think further on the last feeling, Poe answered, bringing the ex-stormtrooper out of his reverie. “Not physically. Mentally...she was pretty shaken up. Mostly worried about you,” Poe tapped Finn lightly on the shoulder. “You gave us all a pretty good scare. If we hadn’t made it out in time…” Poe trailed off, then cleared his throat, straightening up. “Anyway, you’re awake now. I’ll get Major Kalonia, she’ll want to check up on you.” Poe started to head out, then stopped, turning back around. “You don’t have any clothes, do you?”

Finn shook his head slowly. “No,” he admitted.

“Hm, we’ll have to fix that. Can’t have you running about the base in that,” Poe gestured at Finn’s current state of dress, which consisted of a white hospital gown. Finn scowled in disapproval at it. Poe grinned, “Beebee-Ate can help. You’ll be better than ever in no time, buddy.”

Finn gave the pilot a grateful smile. “Thank you, Poe.”

Poe nodded and left the room, no doubt to get the Major. Finn let out a sigh of relief and laid back down. His thoughts returned to Rey and wondering what the planet she was currently on was like.

Wherever Rey Solo might’ve been, all he could hope for was that she was okay.

* * *

 

Rain poured in outside, beating against the occasional window of the base. Leia Organa glanced warily out of one window as lightning flashed across the sky, taking a sip of her caf as she went back to her work, scrolling through different files on her holo-pad.

Suddenly there were a pair of rough, calloused hands on her shoulders, massaging gently. “How’s it going, your worshipfulness?”

Leia huffed, craning her neck to look up at her husband. “Just as well as always, flyboy.”

Han Solo replied with a lopsided grin, pressing a quick kiss to his wife’s temple. “Still trying to find a new base?” He inquired, sitting down beside her. He made her scoot over a little bit until he had gotten comfortable and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Yes,” Leia confirmed with an exhausted sigh. “And it’s not going well. Most planets on the outer-rim have gone to the First Order. And with the Republic destroyed…” she trailed off. “The likelihoods of finding another uninhabited planet is slim.”

“When have we ever listened to likelihoods?” Han remarked, a smile evident in his voice. Leia did her best to not roll her eyes, but failed miserably.

“Point very well taken,” she retorted. She sighed, dropping the holo-pad and leaning her head back. “I think I’m going to have to contact an old friend.”

“Hopefully none with ties to the Empire-”

“They’ve been missing for years, Han.” Leia retorted, voice firm. She took a deep breath, steadying the flash of anger she felt. “I was thinking of someone a bit less local...someone who hates the First Order as much as we do.”

“Who’s that?”

“Someone I have not met in a very long time.”

* * *

 

“And that is the cafeteria,” Poe said, waving his arms like a magician unveiling his tricks. There was a steady smile on the pilot’s face as he dropped his hands to his side, turning to Finn, waiting for a reaction.

The cafeteria was obviously originally intended to be a hall for something, perhaps some grand occasion like a coronation or something. Now tables were lined up, benches pushed under, plates stacked atop.

Finn nodded, “It’s very impressive. Like the command center. And the sick bay...and the landing bay. And everywhere else you’ve showed me.”

Poe shifted his weight and put his hands on his hips. “Well, I just want to make sure you feel welcomed.”

“And I appreciate it,” Finn said, stepping away. “But I’d also appreciate if everyone would quit baby-ing me.”

“What?” Poe inquired, stopping in his tracks. Finn sighed, regretting having spoken at all. He turned around to face his friend.

“Something happened while I was out, but you won’t tell me what. No one will. Not even Major Kalonia.”

“She’s a tough cookie,” Poe mused, taking a step back and leaning his back against the wall. “You’d never get any information out of her.”

“So there is something I don’t know.”

Poe met Finn’s eyes warily. “If I told you, you would just blame yourself-"

Finn’s blood ran cold. Heart pounding uncomfortably in his chest, he stammered, “Is Rey-is she okay?”

“I wasn’t lying earlier about Rey. She’s okay, sort of. Finding out your brother is..well,” Poe trailed off, unable to find a way to properly describe the horror that was Kylo Ren. “ _That_ can’t be easy. She, uh...she knows. She knows that Kylo Ren is her brother.”

Finn nodded. “Yeah, I know. I was there for that part.”

“Right,” Poe whispered and nodded. "But anyway, she...she blames herself for what happened to you."

Finn shook his head. “It’s not her fault. Kylo Ren is the one who did it-”

“She’s afraid of being like him.” Poe finished. “And…..I think General Organa is too.”

Finn laughed. There was no way Rey Solo, the woman who had looked him like no one else had, who had seen him as a person, not a soldier and not a traitor, could ever be like her brother. There was simply no way. “Rey’s not going to go dark.”

“I want to believe that. I need to believe that,” Poe replied. “But the days before she left...they were tense, Finn. Everytime she dozed off at your bedside, she’d wake up, looking around the room in terror.”

“Nightmares?” Finn inquired, trying not to make much of the ‘at your bedside’. Exactly how much time had Rey spent at his side before she left to find the legendary Luke Skywalker?

“Visions,” Poe corrected. “She has them a lot. She had one on Bespin.”

Finn frowned, thinking back to their brief time on Bespin, a memory appearing in his mind, replaying like a record:

 _“Rey, the First Order, they’re here-” Finn’s voice trailed off as he took in the sight of her, collapsed on the ground staring at the box. Without hesitation, he ran to her side. “What happened?”_  
  
_She locked eyes with him and shook her head. “I don’t know.” She breathed._  
  
_“Are you hurt?” He asked, looking for signs of injury._  
  
_“No, I-I touched the lightsaber and I saw-”_  
  
_Finn’s brow creased in confusion. “What’d you see?”_

“She said she was having nightmares about a man in a black mask. Her brother,” Poe clarified as he continued to explain. “Lights in the sky. She dreamt that maybe an hour before Starkiller destroyed the Hosnian system and Kylo Ren abducted her.”

Finn’s eyes widened. He knew that Poe believed Rey was powerful in the Force, and Finn certainly believed it as well, but never had he considered exactly _how_ powerful. He took a deep breath and met Poe’s eyes again. “Did she say what these dreams were about?”

Poe shook his head. “Wouldn’t tell me. Whatever it was...they weren’t good. And I just can’t shake this feeling that something….something bad is going to happen.”

Before Finn could say anything in return, Beebee-Ate appeared in front of them, beeping excitedly. Finn turned to Poe, waiting for a translation. The pilot’s eyes had widened, but when he turned to Finn, there was a smile on his face.

“Hope you’re feeling better, because the General wants to see us.”

* * *

 

Finn had briefly come into contact with General Leia Organa before. It was when the Resistance was planning their strike against the Starkiller base, but never had he been in a room with the general without a huge audience.

The General had a small frame, shorter than his, but somehow she seemed taller than she was. He attributed it to her fiery personality, the years of fighting and loses having never dimmed that fire, only kept it burning brighter. Her eyes were bright, kind but stern. They also carried the weight of having seen-and lost-far too much.

“Since the battle of Starkiller, the First Order knows our location. For the past few days, I’ve been trying to find a new base. Finally, I decided to contact an old friend of mine on Naboo. She knows a few uninhabited planets that could prove quite useful to our cause.” General Organa hesitated, then continued. “But she can’t give the details over the comms. It was far too dangerous. It needs to be a personal meeting.”

Poe stood up impossibly straighter; “You want me to go to Naboo and talk to her.”

“Yes,” the General confirmed, motioning towards the chairs in the corner. Taking the hint, Finn and Poe took their seats as instructed. “You’re both going in.”

Poe glanced over at Finn warily, then back to Leia. “General-no offense to Finn-but is that really a good idea?”

Leia arched an eyebrow. Finn, now extremely uncomfortable with the change of subject, shifted in his seat. He looked at anything that wasn’t Poe or the General.

“Do you not trust him?” Leia inquired.

Without a beat, Poe replied, “With my life. I’m more concerned with his current condition. He’s still recovering from a lightsaber wound.”

Leia’s face went expressionless from a moment, clearly thinking of the man who’d inflicted the wounds in the first place. She cleared her throat and met Finn’s gaze. “Do you think you can take this mission?”

Finn started to answer then hesitated. In the brief time he’d known General Organa, he knew her to be tough, strong, strict and one of the finest generals the galaxy had ever seen. And it could be told well in her tactic: giving the mission, making Finn and Poe wonder now if they trusted each other completely, as opposed to a dangerous part of the mission.

Finn glanced over at Poe, thinking back on how many times they’d already saved each other’s lives, how it was because of him that Finn had ran into Rey….

Finn met General Leia Organa’s eyes and nodded once. “I can do it.”

“Very well. You’re dismissed. You need to get a move on soon.”

“Yes, General,” Poe said, standing up and heading for the doorway. Finn moved to follow him, but Leia called out.

“Finn...a moment please.”

Sharing a brief, worried glance with Poe, Finn stepped back towards the General as Poe stepped out the door. As soon as the door had slid shut, Leia leaned up against on the counters, looking up at Finn.

“I want you to know that I trust you, Finn. Impeccably. You saved Poe’s life, my daughter’s life. You helped bring them home to me. For that I am forever grateful. But I also needed to know that you and Poe trusted each other one hundred percent. I can’t have either of you hesitating out there, not with the First-”

“I know, General.” Finn stated. Leia’s eyes widened, surprised and maybe even a little impressed that he had interrupted her. “I understand why you did it.”

Leia nodded, then sighed. “You don’t always have to call me ‘general’, by the way. You’re free to call me Leia.”

“Leia,” Finn said, trying out the name. He scrunched up his nose and shook his head. “Mrs. Organa?”

At that, Leia scrunched up her nose. “You know what? Let’s just stick with General for now. Baby steps.”

Finn nodded, “Baby steps.” he agreed.

There was a moment of silence, then Leia spoke up once more. “I know I’ve stated this already but….thank you, Finn. For your bravery, for helping the Resistance...we never would’ve been able to destroy Starkiller without your help and-and I might not have ever seen my daughter again.”

“It..it was nothing,” Finn mumbled, shifting his weight and lowering his head.

“It was everything. Rey thinks very highly of you; with the exception of Poe, I’ve never seen her care so much about someone before.”

Heart skipping a beat, Finn looked up at that. “Really?” A second later, “I mean, uh, really?”

Leia gave him a knowing smile. “Really.”

Finn smiled back, his spirits having been inexplicably lifted. Leia gave a nod and gestured toward the door. “You can leave now. You’re going to need to pack.”

“Right,” Finn said, heading out the door, a small smile still on his face. As he passed Poe, a strange expression passed over the pilot’s face.

“What?” Finn inquired, stopping to study Poe’s expression. It was partly amusement, partly realization.

Poe shook his head, “Nothing. Nothing at all. C’mon, buddy. We need to pack.”

“You do realize I still have nothing to pack, right?” Finn remarked as they walked down the hallway.

“Fair enough point.”

 

* * *

A little while later, Finn and Poe had stepped out onto the landing bay. Backpacks slung over their shoulder. A small group of friends were standing in front of the shuttle they were going to take to Naboo. Finn recognized a few faces among the crowd; Snap Wexley, Jessika Pava, General Organa and Han Solo.

“Try to be careful, Poe,” Jessika muttered, reaching forward to hug her friend. Poe returned the hug with a smile.

“Aren’t I always?”

“No,” Snap remarked wryly, “you attract trouble like a magnet.”

Poe made a face and clapped Snap on the shoulder before pulling the older pilot in for a short lived hug.

Snap smiled lightly as he pulled away. “Take care, buddy.”

Poe snapped him a small salute. “Aye, captain.”

Snap shook his head and turned to Finn. “Take it easy, kid. Can’t have you getting killed out there.”

Despite the bluntness of the words, Finn felt a smile work its’ way to his face. Many times before in his life, he had longed for friendship. Friends that cared for him as much as he did them and now, for time his life, he wondered if he had finally found it.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, not quite sure if he too should give Snap a hug. Deciding against it, he pat the pilot briefly on the arm. Jessika, however, had less reservations on what could be awkward and stepped forward, pulling Finn into a tight hug.

Finn returned the hug, feeling only a smidge awkward over the whole ideal. After all, in the past few years of his life, the only two hugs he can remember having is with Rey and Poe.

As Jessika pulled away from the hug, a warm smile on her face, Finn’s attention was turned toward two newcomers. The first being General Organa herself, a neutral expression on her face. Finn could sense the concern she had, the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders. Han Solo took his place beside her and the General visibly relaxed from the presence of her husband.

Finn’s thoughts couldn’t help but turn toward Rey, recalling how soothing her presence was to him. Before that line of thought could continue; however, he was snapped back to the present day by Poe tapping him thrice on the arm.

“You ready?”

Taking a deep breath, Finn nodded. He tried to cleanse his thoughts. Going into a potential battle, thoughts scrambled, was never a good idea. He almost laughed bitterly; after the hell they’d put him through, he had indeed learned a thing or two from his time with the First Order.

Beebee-Ate beeped excitedly by his leg, rolling up the ramp of the shuttle. They stopped briefly at the top of the ramp, turning slightly and beeping an only slightly mournful goodbye to their friends before rolling away. The small droid’s goodbye lightened the mood greatly, and a few more hugs later, Poe and Finn were strapping into their respective seats.

Poe began pressing buttons and pulling levers and doing whatever it was that enabled the ship to lift off. Finn vaguely knew the specifics-he’d after all taken some piloting classes, albeit briefly, back when he was training. However most of the schematics and manuals he had read in preparation had made zero sense to him.

Making a small mental note to ask Poe, or maybe even Rey, to teach him a few things on piloting, he leaned forward excitedly as the shuttle lifted off the ground. He lurched forward before going skyward. “So,” Poe said, by way of small talk, “Have you ever been to Naboo?”

“No,” Finn admitted, then hesitated. “Maybe. Not that I remember, anyway.”

Poe frowned, glancing toward his friend. “You don’t know what planet you’re from?”

Finn shook his head. “Don’t even know my real name.” He laughed, but there was no humor to it. “The First Order wants everyone’s loyalty to be to them. Not to family or to a planet.”

Poe’s frown deepened. “We’ll have to look into that a bit later, then.”

Spirits lifting at that promise, the fact that he now had a friend who cared enough to help him find his family, Finn smiled widely. “Have you ever been to Naboo?”

“Nah,” Poe said as he typed in the co-ordinates into the nav-computer. The stars around them began to blur and blend and suddenly they were pulled into the blue haze of hyperspace. “My mom went once though,” he continued. “On a mission for the Rebellion, sometime after the Battle of Endor.” He paused. “She was never one to talk about missions. When I was a kid, I didn’t really understand why. After she died and I joined the Resistance….well, suddenly I started to understand.”

Finn nodded, growing serious. “I can’t really imagine what it was like back then.” He remarked quietly. “I mean...probably not all that different from what it is now.”

“My parents told me what it was like,” Poe stated simply. “Said the whole galaxy was just...shrouded with fear. People even refused to have kids because they didn’t want to bring them up in a galaxy like that.”

“But you were?”

“Few years before the Battle of Endor, yeah. The tide of the war was changing, things happened. I can’t remember much back then, being so little but I have vague memories of being with my grandfather. He always looked sad, I suppose. Expecting someone to not return. Never understood it until I was eight.”

Finn frowned, but given the tone of voice Poe had said that, he didn’t want to press on what had happened when the pilot was eight. Poe cleared his throat suddenly, startling Finn.

“Either way, what she did tell me was that Naboo is beautiful. I’ve heard lots of stories about the planet.”

“Me too,” Finn stated. “Learned about all the Queens and stuff. One of them even became a senator in the Galactic Senate...rumor has it she helped start the Rebellion.”

“Yeah?” Poe said, looking amused that Finn knew so much about the Rebellion, before realizing that being a former soldier for their enemy, he’d have to know quite a lot about the people they were fighting. More than likely through a filter, though.

“Yeah. But it’s just a rumor though. She died not long after the Empire took over.” Finn paused.

“Did she have a name?” Poe inquired, “The story sounds familiar.”

Finn frowned, thinking hard as he tried to remember. He’d seen holovids of the woman; she had had elegance that only royals seemed to have; yet the fiery spark that so often was in her eyes was accompanied by something Finn had always secretly identified with: compassion. Finally, a name came to place with the face. “Padme. Padme Amidala.”

Poe froze. “Padme Amidala?”

“Yeah. Why?”

The pilot shook his head. “Nothing….it’s just…” he trailed off, grasping at words. Finally he made a noise that was something like an “argh” or an “hmph”, Finn wasn’t quite sure which. “I’m not really one to gossip,” Poe continued, then paused. “Well, not usually, anyway. But...I heard some things.”

“‘Things’? What kind of _things_?”

“You know General Organa’s backstory, correct?”

“Yeah. Adoptive daughter of Queen Breha Organa and Senator Bail Organa. She was raised as a princess, then later became senator. All the while, secretly helping the Rebellion through the system. Eventually she was captured on her ship the _Tantive IV,_ found smuggling plans of the Death Star, ect. Ect.”

“Yeah,” Poe nodded. He had the air of a man who’d heard the story a million times, but relished in hearing it again. “Key word there being ‘adopted’. Her biological father was-”

“Darth Vader.” Finn finished simply. Poe quirked an eyebrow and Finn replied with a shrug; “We learned all about the Skywalker twins. Though they were known as conspirators against the Empire.”

“In a way they were and still are,” Poe admitted. “But anyway, for years General Organa and her brother searched for answers about their mother. Eventually, they discovered the answer was right under their nose.”

“How?”

“Artoo,” Poe chuckled. “The little droid knew everything. Knew who their father was, knew who their mother was. All of it.”

“How come Threepio doesn’t know?”

“He does. Ish. According to Artoo, Bail had Threepio’s memories erased. Truth be told, I understand why. If anyone could keep a secret, it’d be Artoo. Threepio...not so much.”

“And how’s this gotta do with Senator Amidala?”

“You know how they said she died pregnant?”

Finn nodded.

“They lied. She gave birth minutes before she died,” Poe said sadly. “Just long enough to name her twins.”

Finn’s eyes widened. “..you’re not serious.”

Before Poe could reply, their ship came out of hyperspace. The two men turned to see the sight before them; a blue-ish globe, surrounded by the inky darkness of space.

Clearing his throat, Poe smirked. “Welcome to Naboo, Finn.”


	2. Stuff Of Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Finn find themselves in the seedy underground of Naboo to meet their informant and meet a face from the Skywalkers' past....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major kudos to Nor (Theladymore on here and hanorganaas on Tumblr) for beta-ing this chapter for me! Thanks dear. And thanks to Nikki (fitzsimmmmonns) for listening to my rants about this fic! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Naboo, Finn decided, was one of the most beautiful planets he’d ever been on.

  
It was all so bright and airy and the architecture was breathtaking. The landscape was amazing as well; green pastures that ran into long hills, waterfalls and lakes of bright blue. He watched as Poe maneuvered the shuttle to a landing bay. Both men had fallen into a stunned silence.

  
When the ship was settled, Poe stood from the pilot’s seat and ran a hand through his hair. He messed it up further than it already was. “My mom wasn’t joking,” he remarked with a smile. “It is beautiful here.”  
“Yeah,” Finn agreed, still staring at their surroundings. He turned to Poe, shaking his head. “So where are we meeting this informant?”

  
Poe frowned. “Well, according to the coded message the General gave me before we left...a not so friendly part of town.”

  
“There are not so friendly parts of Naboo?” Finn inquired, glancing backwards towards the scenery around them. It was hard to believe something as beautiful as this could have a dark side.

  
“Yeah,” Poe retorted as he pressed the button to lower the ramp. He stepped down it as Beebee-Ate following excitedly. Poe stopped and turned to Beebee-Ate, lowering to his knees so he could be eye level with the small droid. “Look, buddy, I need you to stay with the ship. We don’t know what we’re heading into, kay?”

  
Beebee-Ate let out a small, indignant and concerned beep. Finn knew what the little droid was thinking: the last time Poe and the droid had been split up, Poe had nearly died.  
“I’ll be careful. I promise.” Poe assured the droid. Beebee-Ate gave a teeny nod and rolled back to the pilot chair, beeping a quick goodbye to Finn as it rolled away. Finn turned to Poe. The pilot had grown solemn and Finn wondered if he too was having flashbacks to their previous adventure.

  
“You okay?” Finn asked, stepping up beside his friend. Poe looked up, looking a little startled. He relaxed when he realized it was just Finn.

  
“Yeah...yeah, I’m good. Sorry. Just thinking.” Poe said with a nod. He cleared his throat. “What are we waiting for? We have an informant to go meet.”  
With that, the pilot headed down the ramp, leaving Finn staring after him.

= = =

Naboo was even more amazing up close, Finn decided. The streets were made of cobblestone, that led down winding alleys and roads. Speeders past by occasionally. They made their way through the small town, the buildings surrounding them became more worn the more steps they took.

  
Very soon, Finn began to understand what Poe had meant by a “not so good” part of town. Peoples of various species stood on the sidewalks, watching them carefully. Most of them were dressed raggedly, or were wearing clothes that looked far too expensive for them to be wearing by the looks of the rest of them. But that wasn’t what made him uncomfortable: it was the occasional glimpse of a hidden blaster that made him a little nervous.

  
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Finn muttered under his breath.

  
“You and me both,” Poe replied. “I think we both look too nice to be around these parts.”

  
Finn glanced over at Poe and then back at himself. It was true; apart from their not so hidden blasters, they didn’t exactly scream “smugglers” or “criminals”. Hell, they probably wouldn’t even be able to pass as bounty hunters.

  
“Here we go,” Poe said, relief evident in his voice. Finn turned to see what Poe was looking at and was surprised to find a bar in front of them. Well, a bar wasn’t quite what the place could be called. It was more like a nightclub. The sign above the doorway was neon and flashing, written in basic: _Theed Underground._

“Bit on the nose, isn’t it?” Finn inquired.

“So was ‘Starkiller’.” Poe remarked. “Come on, let’s go. I want to be out of here as quickly as possible.”

  
“Agreed,” Finn said with a nod, following Poe into the nightclub. It was packed. Music was blaring, some sort of catchy tune that Finn didn’t recognize, on top of the conversations spoken in hundreds of different languages. Couples of various species loitered in corners, lips and bodies pressed together in the shadows.

  
He turned his head away, catching sight of other people downing drinks like nothing. They passed by one woman who was surrounded by empty glasses, but downing yet another. He turned away once more, to catch sight of a man selling something called “death sticks”. A man quickly gave the other man a load of credits before walking away with his new treasure.

  
Finn swallowed uncomfortably. He leaned closer to Poe so his voice could be heard over the loud noise of the club. “I really don’t like it here.”

 

“Neither do I,” Poe replied, scrunching up his nose as they passed yet another couple making out. This time they were stretched out on one of the benches. “I _really_ don’t like it here.”

  
“What's the informant look like?”

  
“No idea,” Poe admitted. “But according to this, she’s got a private room.”

  
“Do we have to have an I.D. to get in?”

  
“Just a password,” Poe said, barely able to contain his disgust toward the club as they walked up to the counter. Finn opened his mouth to reply, but bumped into a cloaked figure. He turned to apologize, catching a brief glimpse of dark hair beneath but then the figure was gone altogether. Lost among a sea of seedy characters.

  
“What do you want, kid?” growled the green skinned manager behind the desk. Poe’s smile didn’t break.

  
“We have a meeting.”

The green woman frowned. “Password?”

  
Finn glanced back and forth between the woman and Poe, holding his breath.

  
“Corpsey Diem?” Poe said, uncertainty wavering in his voice.

  
The woman laughed. “Going to see old Ryoo, huh? Through those doors.” The manager motioned toward a particular set of doors up ahead. “Good luck, she’s about as mad as a crate full of lothal cats.”  
“Right,” Poe said slowly, sharing a confused glance with Finn. He replied with a shrug. Poe turned back to the woman. “Thanks.”

  
“Sure thing, honey,” she replied in a sultry tone. Finn’s eyes went wide. Poe gave a quick smile and motioned for Finn to follow him.

  
“You realize she was flirting with you, right?” Finn inquired as they stepped toward the doors.

  
“Who was?” Poe asked, turning to face Finn, eyebrows hunched together. There wasn’t even a hint of sarcasm in his voice or eyes: he was genuinely confused.

  
Finn shook his head. “Never mind.”

  
Poe frowned and opened the door, stepping inside. He held the door open for Finn as the ex-stormtrooper stepped through. Poe released his grip on the door.

  
Inside the room was dark, illuminated barely by a lantern. “So you’re the Resistance’s best and brightest, huh?” said a voice. A woman stood up from her chair; her eyes were bright and her dark hair pulled into a bun behind her. She had an air of mystery about her, yet there was something familiar about her as well.

  
“That would be us,” Poe said, smiling up at her. Finn followed suit and gave a small smile

.  
“Poe Dameron and his friend, Finn. The brave stormtrooper who fled from the First Order.” The woman chuckled. “You’re both far too young to be such legends.”

  
“We’re-we’re not legends,” Finn stammered, taken aback by her bluntness. He certainly didn’t feel like a legend.

  
“How do you think legends are made, love? Legends are born from sacrifice and tragedy and betrayal. It’s born from the light and the dark and the grey in between. It’s born from someone standing up for what they believe in. A lothal cat in front of a Rancor.” She poked him gently in the chest, directly over his heart. “Just like you.”

  
Finn caught side of her face, fully now. She looked a little older than General Organa, but not by much. Her hair was dark, nearly the same shade. Her eyes held the same compassion, the burning desire to help others, but she also reminded him of Rey. She held herself the same way, regal and strong. She carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, even when it was too heavy to bear alone.

  
“Who are you?” Finn whispered.

  
“Ryoo,” the woman answered. “Ryoo Naberrie.”

  
Poe’s eyes widened. “Naberrie?"

  
“Yes, Naberrie. Padme was my aunt.” Ryoo answered with a sad smile. “She died when I was very young. Barely got to know her.”

  
“That’s why you look like R-” Finn caught himself. “That’s why you look like General Organa.”

  
Poe arched an eyebrow, not missing the name Finn had started to say. He turned back to Ryoo. “General Organa said you had a list of uninhabited planets the Resistance could use for a base.”

  
“Indeed, I do.” Ryoo pulled out a data chip. She sat it down on the table and pushed it toward Finn and Poe. “There’s twelve planets listed there. All far from the grasp of the First Order.”

  
Finn leaned forward to take the chip, but Ryoo grabbed his hand. He froze, waiting for a threat.

  
“Listen,” she breathed.

  
Finn strained his ears, trying to hear what she was hearing. But he didn’t hear anything, just pure silence. Then it clicked: the music. The chatter. What had happened to the noise?

  
The room wasn’t sound proof by any means, even after the door had been closed, Finn could still hear everything outside. Now he could hear a pin drop. Then there was a shout of alarm from outside.  
Poe locked eyes with Finn, concern written on his features. Both men stepped toward the door, but suddenly there was a firm hand on Finn’s shoulder. A quick glance told him there was one on Poe’s too.

  
“It’s the First Order,” Ryoo stated simply, eyes wide. She turned around, grabbing the data chip off the table and shoving it into Finn’s hands. “Take it. Get out of here.”

  
“But everyone out there-” Finn protested, starting to head out once more but Ryoo gripped his arm again, stopping him in his tracks. Poe looked equally torn beside him.

  
“Can survive without you. This is more important. This will help you stop the First Order for good.”

  
Finn opened his mouth to argue once more but felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Poe standing beside him, his mouth a firm line. There was guilt and resignation in his eyes. There was no way they could save the people outside, not without getting captured-or worse-themselves. And the Resistance needed the information….

  
“Go,” Ryoo ordered. “There’s an exit right outside that door,” she motioned toward another door in one of the darker corners of the room. “It’ll take you out the back. There’s a series of alleyways that’ll take you back to the landing bay.”

  
“What about you?” Poe inquired, taking a step forward, arm outstretched in worry.

“I can handle myself,” Ryoo retorted with a mischievous smile. “Aggressive negotiations and all that.”

  
Poe smiled at that. “May the Force be with you.”

Ryoo gave a curt nod, eyes focusing on Finn as she replied, “And to you.”

  
A chill went down his nearly healed spine as her words washed over him. Before he could make sense of the odd feeling that had overcome him, Poe was tugging on his arm, motioning toward the door. Finn stumbled after his friend, staring at Ryoo who had simply sat back down in her chair and began to sip on her drink.

  
The next second, all sight of her was as Poe closed the door behind them.

  
And then they were running, down the promised alleyways. “How’d the First Order know we were here?”

  
“No idea,” Poe admitted as they ducked down to avoid being smacked by hanging laundry. “A spy maybe?”

  
“Maybe,” Finn agreed as they rounded a corner, leading out into an opening. They darted forward, ready to continue their trek down to the landing bay, but suddenly they were stopped by two stormtroopers emerging from the alley ahead.

  
“Freeze, traitor.” said the stormtrooper on the left. Not for the first time, Finn felt a wave of fear rush over him.

  
Two more troopers appeared behind them, fingers twitching against triggers. “I think we’ve run out of luck,” Finn said, looking over at Poe.

  
The pilot glanced around their small opening; to the left and right of them were buildings, impossible to climb and impossible to squeeze through the small spaces between them. Surrounding them at all corners were stormtroopers.

  
“I think,” Poe said, fear evident in his voice, “you may be right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: caught in a deadly stand-off, Poe and Finn find themselves a new ally....in the form of a friend from Poe's past.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, despite the long break between chapters and that cliffhanger! Feel free to leave comments below or come chat with me about it over on tumblr! You can find me at fitzsimmvns!


	3. Ghost in the Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Finn find themselves a new-and familiar-ally. Now all they have to do is get away from the storm troopers without being caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major thanks to Theladymore for beta-ing this and being an amazing friend and always having my back when it comes to this AU. Happy Birthday dear, this chapter's dedicated to ya!
> 
> Also thanks to everyone who's kept track of this fic! I hope you're enjoying it and-in the wise words of Anakin Skywalker-this is where the fun begins!
> 
> Note: there is a bit more violence than usual in this chapter!

Finn glanced around the alley. Stormtroopers were swooping in on all sides, looking more vulture like than ever. His hand reached out for his blaster, already adding up the odds in his heads of how many both he and Poe could take out at once.

The math was simple: not enough.

Neither of them had thought to bring a thermal detonator, so explosions wouldn’t help either. The only way out was up, and they hadn’t brought jetpacks either. Going on the offensive was out, as was escaping. All methods were blocked. But most forms of defense were out too; they were standing in the middle of the alley, nothing to duck behind or to use to throw at the soldiers.

They were, without a doubt, in trouble.

“There’s no way out,” Poe hissed from beside Finn. The pilot was reaching out for his own blaster and Finn grabbed his hand.

“Grab the blaster and we die even quicker.” Finn stated simply. Poe frowned, but dropped his hand to his side, leaving the blaster alone. The stormtroopers swarmed even closer and Finn felt his heart began to race. Inexplicably his thoughts went to Rey, wondering where she currently was. He imagined her; eyes fiery and kind, the weight of the universe on her shoulders. So much like her mother, but so much like her father and so simply _ Rey. _

Then before any of the stormtroopers could so much as touch the trigger, a shot rang out from above. One of them fell to the ground, blood oozing from the wound. A few seconds later, the soldier stopped moving altogether. 

The rest of the stormtroopers looked around wildly, trying to detect the source of the shot. There was another blast and another trooper fell. Finn looked up, just in time to see a cloaked figure fling themselves off a low building, landing atop of an awning, doing a backflip, and kicking down a stormtrooper.

The figure whirled around, blaster at the ready, firing red energy bursts. One, two, three more troopers hit the ground, dead. Poe stared in horrified silence as a trooper fell at their feet, blood turning the white armor red.

The figure was a blur of motion. It ran past a group of soldiers, reaching out only briefly to drop something on the ground, then the figure was off again. Catching sight of the object, Finn cried out as the troopers began to panic. Instincts taking over, Finn grabbed Poe by the arm. They dove away from the troopers, just as an explosion rocketed the small alleyway.

The two men hit the ground, dust and debris from the building falling around them. Finn groaned, pain shooting up his back. It was white-hot, so painful it made him want to scream. Clearly his spine hadn’t healed all the way. Biting down on his lip so as not to scream, drawing blood as he did, he turned to see what had happened.

Many of the bodies had thankfully been hidden by the fallen debris from the building that had been behind them, but it was still a bloody sight. Finn stood up looking away as he helped Poe to his feet.

“Who the blast was that-?” Poe demanded, looking around wildly for a sign of their savior. Finn followed Poe’s gaze and found himself staring at the end of a blaster.

“Freeze, traitor.” said the trooper. Blood was smeared on their armor, but it wasn’t theirs. Before Finn or Poe could do anything, another shot rang out and the trooper fell to the ground at their feet. Poe’s face paled considerably as he looked down at the bloody corpse. 

“You okay?” Finn asked, looking at his friend in concern.

“Y-yeah,” Poe said with a nod.

“Well, well, well,” said a distorted voice. The two men swirled around in time to see the cloaked figure striding toward them. “Poe Dameron, you just can’t stay out of trouble.”

“What is it with this assumption that I’m always getting into trouble?” Poe demanded, sounding affronted.

Finn coughed. “In the time that I’ve known you, you’ve certainly gotten into trouble quite a bit.”

Poe turned to him with a frown. “You’re not helping.”

“Sorry.”

The figure let out a cough, gaining back their attention. “You’re lucky I recognized you back in  _ Theed Underground _ .” said the figure, holding their wrist up and pressing a button on their wrist band. “Otherwise you’d be dead.” The voice was no longer distorted, it was now very clearly the voice of a young woman.

Finn’s eyes widened. “You’re the person who bumped into me when we were heading to the counter.”

“Indeed I was,” the woman said. She flicked back her hood, long dark hair spilling out from within the hood. “I’m also the person that planted a tracker on you.” She turned her attention to Poe, who was still staring at her like he’d seen a ghost. A smile spread across her lips; “Hello, Poe.”

“ _ Lyra _ ?”

Finn turned to Poe, frowning. “You know her?”

“We were friends..back when we were training to be pilots for the New Republic.” Poe answered.

Lyra quirked an eyebrow; “Friends? That’s it. Spent hours with him, every day for two years. We were  _ best  _ friends.”

“Yeah,” Poe agreed solemnly, meeting her gaze. “Until you quit.”

Lyra’s hard expression faltered for a moment before she returned her glance to Finn. “You’re wanted men, you know. The First Order has a bounty on both your heads. Two thousand credits for the Bounty Hunter to catch you.”

“Two-” Finn coughed. “Two thousand credits? To catch  _ me _ ?”

“Two thousand, yes. Not the biggest bounty, but pretty damn high for chumps like the First Order.” Lyra retorted. “Their biggest base gets destroyed and they’re wasting money on bounties. Guess they thought they couldn’t do their job.”

“Well, after Terrex and the Starkiller, probably not, no.” Poe quipped. Lyra laughed..

“So the rumors are true? You’re the one that put that half-witted piece of bantha fodder in jail. Huh, Poe Dameron, I couldn’t of guessed. What happened to diplomacy being the thing that matters the most? You were all for it in the Academy. Mister Must-Do-What’s-Expected-Of-Me.”

Poe opened his mouth to argue but Finn stepped forward, “No offense but more troopers will be here soon, so we need to go. By now, Beebee-Ate’s probably got half of the Resistance looking for us.”

Lyra’s eyes widened. “You still have Beebee-Ate?” 

“Of course I do,” Poe retorted. “But Finn’s right. We need to get back to the shuttle.”

Lyra nodded. “Probably couldn’t hurt. Follow me, unless you want to run into half a squad of stormtroopers again on your way out.”

“Not really,” Finn admitted, giving Poe an apologetic look. The pilot sighed but nodded. 

“Let’s go.”

* * *

 

By the time they reached the hanger, it was swarming with stormtroopers. Lyra grabbed the back of Finn and Poe’s jackets and dragged them around a corner. She shielded them from the troopers’ lines of sight. 

“How’d they get here so fast?” Finn muttered.

“Isn’t it obvious? They tracked your ship, genius.” Lyra shot back, glancing around the corner, lips a thin line.

“Beebee-Ate,” Poe whispered worriedly, taking a step forward but Finn and Lyra grabbed him by his arms. 

“You can’t go out there,” Finn stated, “as soon as they see you, they’d shoot you.”

Poe met his friend’s eye, before glancing back at the hanger. His shoulders slumped and he stopped resisting their grip. “I know. You’re right. I just-I promised.”

Finn nodded. “I know.”

As if to answer Poe’s look of resignation and guilt, a low whistle emitted from behind them. Poe’s eyes widened, hope reappearing once more as he whirled around, eyes falling on the source of the noise. Sitting behind them, rocking back and forth slightly, was Beebee-Ate.

Poe stepped toward the droid, kneeling down beside it. “You okay, buddy?”

The droid let out a beep and even though Finn didn’t understand what it said, the relief was evident in Poe’s voice as he replied to the droid. “Okay, good. How’d you get away?”

The next answers was long and excited, filled mostly with whistle and head bobbing from Beebee-Ate. Finn had never seen the droid so excited. By the time Beebee-Ate had finished, Poe was grinning. “The First Order hasn’t got anything on you, do they?”

Beebee-Ate replied with a proud beep. Poe chuckled, then stood up to face Finn and Lyra. “According to Beebee-Ate, the shuttle is surrounded by stormtroopers. He barely managed to get out. Shocked a few troopers, too.”

Finn smirked. “Yeah, I’m sure he did.”

“He?” Lyra scoffed, taking a step toward Beebee-Ate and smiling at it. “Don’t listen to them, old girl.”

Beebee-Ate let out an unimpressed beep. Poe snickered. “Did you get that, Lyra?”

“Yeah,” Lyra said with a shake of her head. “Don’t call Beebee-Ate old.”

Beebee-Ate whistled and moved over next to Finn, looking back and forth between Poe and Lyra. Finn frowned. “Can we get back to the matter at hand?”

Lyra and Poe turned to face Finn and nodded. “Right, yeah,” they said in unison. They turned to glare at each other before returning their attention to Finn.

“First and foremost, that is starting to get creepy. Secondly, how do we get out of here?”

Lyra gave a smirk that was frightening and mischievous enough that it would probably cause even Captain Phasma to freeze. Finn thought about it; yeah, probably not. Lyra’s next words brought him out of his thought process; “We’re going to use  _ my  _ ship.”

* * *

Getting to Lyra’s ship was surprisingly easy in comparison. She’d landed in one of the older hangers. One that the First Order wouldn’t think to look at. Not at first anyway.

It hadn’t been entirely too easy though. They backtracked a lot, went down a bunch of dead end alleyways, all to throw off the potential scent of any stormtroopers. When they finally made it to the hanger, Finn stopped in his tracks. His eyes trailed over the ship that no doubt belonged to Lyra.

It was a VCX-100 light freighter, old and battered. There was graffiti on the starboard side of the ship. Lyra pressed a button on her wrist and the ramp lowered. “You coming or what?”

Poe, who had been staring at the ship for a long moment, lost in the details of the odd beauty the freighter had, snapped out of his haze. “Yeah,” he said with a nod. “I am.”

He took off after Lyra, leaving Finn and Beebee-Ate no choice but to follow. Finn gave a wary glance at the orange and white droid. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, droid.”

Beebee-Ate beeped a response and even Finn didn’t have to know binary to know the meaning behind the beep: the small droid agreed. It continued its train of thought, letting out a worried sounding beep. Finn bent down to face the droid.

“I’m can’t promise you I can keep him safe, but I’m going to try. Alright? I’m not losing any more friends.”

Beebee-Ate let out an appreciative whistle and moved forward slightly, tapping Finn slightly on the knee as what he could only assume was a sign of affection. Finn gave Beebee-Ate a nod. “Let’s go, huh?”

And together, they stepped onto the ship. It was larger than Finn had anticipated. He’d expected something small, maybe a small cargo bay and a cockpit. However that was not the case. There was a cargo bay, small and cramped but enough to hold supplies and what little Lyra could smuggle-if she was into that sort of business. Further into the ship was a room that led to different rooms, three in particular, not counting the one that led to the cockpit. Two of the doors were open, the third closed. 

“Home sweet home,” Lyra called, stepping into the cockpit. Finn followed her, Poe trailing behind him, having hesitated briefly to look at the open rooms. Lyra slipped into the pilot’s seat and began pressing buttons and pulling levers. Within seconds, the ship lifted off into the air. Finn grabbed the second chair, balancing himself at the sudden take of flight.

Then the next second, the blue skies of Naboo faded, turning a dull gray until finally a deep black. Stars reflecting back on the hull of a ship. Before he could admire the scenery change for too long, however, Poe tapped Finn on the shoulder, motioning for him to follow.

They stepped out of the cockpit and into the hallway. “Do you still have the-”

Finn pulled the data chip from his jacket and handed it to Poe by way of answering. He glanced warily at the room they’d just left. “Is she trustworthy?” 

Poe followed his gaze and frowned. “Before..yes. Now? I’m not so sure.”

“Never trust a bounty hunter,” Lyra called from her spot. She stood up and strode toward them, looking particular unimpressed. She stopped before them, leaning against the doorway, arms folded across her chest. “You two can’t whisper worth a kriff.”

Finn stared at her for a long moment, then spoke. “You said there’s a bounty on us. Are you taking us to the First Order?”

Lyra gave a rather dramatic sigh. “Probably not today, no. Not really in the mood for their…” she made a face and a weird motion with her hands, “Shenanigans. Besides, wouldn’t be nice to throw an old friend to the Rancor Pit, now would it?”

“Fair enough. Can we trust you with the details of this list?” Poe inquired.

Lyra scowled at him. “Once upon a time we were friends, Dameron. And I did just save your life.”

“She’s got you there,” Finn mumbled warily. Poe sighed.

“Fine, fine. Time to find out what’s on this data chip,” with that he stepped into the cockpit-Lyra moving aside ever so slightly to let him through-and Finn felt something brush past him. He looked down just in time to see Beebee-Ate roll past. He looked back up to meet Lyra’s amused gaze.

“You’re new to this, aren’t you?”

Finn frowned but then gave a nod. After all it had barely been two weeks ago that he had never been on a combat mission. “Yeah, it is.”

“You’ll get use to it,” Lyra promised, the snark in her voice gone, for once. “Come on, let’s find out what that mysterious ‘list’ is.”

Finn nodded and followed her into the cockpit. Whatever was on that list, it could mean the future of the Resistance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: The new trio find themselves in need of a place to lie low and decide to head to Yavin-4, where they're reunited with a friendly face!
> 
> Feel free to leave comments and feedback! Both are appreciated. Also: did anyone catch the Rebels reference ;)


	4. Our First Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn finds himself unexpectedly reunited with Rey...or has he? Meanwhile, Poe and Lyra have a heart to heart about their falling out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for being an amazing beta, always supporting my fics and just being an amazing friend in general.  
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Finn had taken a seat in the co-pilot’s seat as Beebee-Ate projected the list in the center of the room. Twelve planets at various ends of the galaxy, all uninhabited.

“We need to scout these,” Poe said, taking a step toward the project and drumming his fingers against his chin as he skimmed through the list. “See which would be the best option for a base.”

Lyra scoffed from her place at the pilot seat. She’d stretched her legs across another seat. “Sure, have the First Order find your new base before you’ve even established it. They could be tracking us right now.”

Poe turned to her. “Do you have a better idea, Lyra?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. We go back to my safe house. Lay low there for awhile, hide the ship. You can contact your commander and Finn can rest his back.”

Finn turned to Lyra in surprise just as Poe turned to him in concern. Lyra gave Finn an innocent look as he asked, “How did you-?”

“You’re walking stiffly. Before the ambush, you were not. My best guess is that your back was recently wounded. You overworked it before it could properly heal.”

Finn opened his mouth to argue but knew it was pointless. His back  _ was _ still aching, but not as bad as before. Major Kalonia had warned him not to overwork his back-had made him promise no running or fighting.

The First Order had had other ideas.

Poe turned to Lyra. “Alright, we’ll do it your way. Where exactly is your safe house?”

Lyra gave him a proud smirk. “Home.”

At the word, Poe’s eyes lit up and a grin appeared on his face. Finn raised an eyebrow. “Where would that be?”

Poe, looking more excited than Finn had ever seen him before, turned to face Finn.. It was as if years of fighting and loss had melted completely away, leaving only a young man excited about the universe. “Yavin 4.”

“Precisely,” Lyra said, straightening up and turning the chair around, began to press in coordinates. “And while I pilot, Finn can rest.”

Finn opened his mouth to protest but Poe gave him a sympathetic look; he clearly agreed with Lyra. Finn let out a sigh. There wasn’t much he could do in the first place. He still didn’t have the foggiest on how to fly a ship-but he didn’t want to do  _ nothing _ .

“Go on, buddy. Get some rest. Beebee-Ate will keep an eye on you, won’t ya?” Poe inquired, giving the orange and white droid a small smile. It made a motion similar to a nod. Poe looked back up at Finn. “See? He’s got your back.”

Finn managed a small smile. “Yeah, alright.” He sighed and stood up, heading toward the door. 

“Second room has the comfiest bunk beside my own.” Lyra called, still messing with the controls.

“Thanks,” Finn said, stepping out into the hall, Beebee-Ate rolling after him. He quickly stepped into the bunk,  breathing in the stale and musty air. Graffiti of various looking cartoonish characters lined the walls.

He made his way toward the bed, sinking down onto it. It  _ was _ comfortable. He rolled over onto his side, thankful that there was a pillow. He began to sit up to pull the blanket over him, but a metal arm beat him to it. He glanced over to see Beebee-Ate using one of its’ many extensions to grab the blanket with a claw-like mechanism and pulling it up and over Finn’s legs.

“Thanks, droid.” Finn whispered, letting out a small yawn. Beebee-Ate replied with a low whistle and the rest of the world slowly began to ebb away, sleep claiming him.

* * *

 

_ All he could hear was wind and water. Finn whirled around, hearing the roar of an engine. It was miraculous, he thought, considering all the other noise. He caught sight of a ship on the horizon, streaming toward him, a beacon of hope. Then the imagery changed, sort of. _

_ He was still on the small island, but the wind wasn’t nearly as bad. The sea seemed to have calmed as well, no longer a roaring monster. Then he heard a voice, clear as a bell toil. He turned, freezing in place as he caught sight of her. She was wearing gray clothes, the lightsaber-the Skywalker lightsaber-hung loosely at her side. She smiled warmly at him and he was surprised to see that her hair fell down to her shoulders, instead of how she usually wore it: pulled back into a ponytail or bun. _

_ “Finn,” Rey said, taking a step toward him. Her voice was melodic, free. Normally there was a tinge of sadness or wonder to her voice; there wasn’t now. “You made it.” _

_ “Was I supposed to?” Finn asked, glancing around. He wasn’t entirely sure where they were or why they were standing on an island in the middle of a never-ending ocean. _

_ Rey made a face as if she couldn’t quite believe he didn’t understand. “Of course you were. You held this, didn’t you?” She tapped the handle of the lightsaber with emphasis. “Our journey is the same.” _

_ Finn felt his heart drop. “You’re not really Rey, are you?” _

_ She frowned. “Why do you say that?” _

_ “You’re too….” how could he phrase it? Too calm, too peaceful. Rey was always on the move, always thinking, always had an edge to her. The person before him did not. He sighed. “You’re just not her.” _

_ He sank down to the cold, misty grass. Not Rey sat down beside him, drawing her legs up to her chest. “She is whom you trust the most.” She said thoughtfully, turning to him. He found himself locking eyes with her, searching for Rey- _ his _ Rey-but found no sign of her.  _

_ “I trust Poe.” he replied, looking away from her and out toward the ocean. He could feel her eyes on him. Finally, he returned her unwavering gaze. _

_ She had a small knowing smile on her face. “Your destiny and Rey’s destiny...they are entwined within the Force.” _

_ “What about Poe?”  _

_ “Him too.” Not Rey said. “The three of you are the galaxy’s only hope.” _

_ “I would hardly say that,” Finn said with a shake of his head. “There’s General Organa….Luke Skywalker...Han Solo...Lando Calrissian-” _

_ “And together, they destroyed the Empire. Who do you think will destroy the First Order? The universe has a funny way of repeating itself, Finn. In a way, you are all echos of the past.” She tapped him on the chest, right above his heart. “You are far more important than you realize, Finn. The fate of the universe weighs on your shoulder, but you do not bear it alone. Nor will you ever have to.” _

_ He looked down to see her handing the lightsaber to him. Carefully he took it, wrapping his fingers around the handle. He stared at it for a moment before looking up at Not Rey. “W-why me?” _

_ “Because your potential shines as brightly as a sun. And I for one do not wish to see it burn out.” _

_ He looked down at the lightsaber again. “If you’re not Rey, then who are you?” he looked up to see her frowning, eyes fixed on something on the horizon. He followed her gaze to see a stormcloud, so dark that it was inky black. _

_ She sighed, turning back to Finn. “Do not waste your talents, Finn. Trust within the Force. And remember; these are your first steps.” _

_ And with that she disappeared, leaving Finn crying out to her fading figure. “What does that mean?” _

_ Then suddenly the scenery changed and images, broken and distorted, came at him so fast that he could barely understand their meaning. Trees...fire...a tangle of red hair….the soft hum of a green blade- _

Finn woke with a start, sweat beaded on his forehead.He was panting as he took in his surroundings, panicking at first because he didn’t recognize them.Then his eyes fell upon the orange and white droid that was sitting next to the bed, looking up at him in concern.

Beebee-Ate let out a low questioning beep. Taking a deep breath, Finn nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” He laid back down, breathing in and out, slowly. As he shut his eyes-half worried of another bizarre dream-he couldn’t help but notice how he felt vaguely different. He shook the thoughts away and tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

“I can feel you staring at me.” Lyra said coolly as she pressed a button. Poe was standing behind her, leaning against one of the other chairs in the room.

“Why did you become a bounty hunter?” he asked. “With all your talents-”

“That were pointless because of what happened at the Academy,” Lyra retorted as she turned to him. “Or do you not remember?”

“How could I forget?” Poe said, sinking down into the chair. “You were kicked out.”

“That’s what happens when  _ Winder  _ decides it’s best to frame you for something  _ he  _ did,” Lyra remarked bitterly. “As if I would sabotage an X-Wing. And what good did it do? The test flight still happened..”

“Gave him a few more hours to prepare, strategize.” Poe replied, closing his eyes. “Sabotage the test, get a few hours to think it over so you don’t fail.”

“And then blame it on the best pilot in the class,” Lyra shook her head. “Unbelievable.”

“The best?” Poe repeated, opening one eye. Lyra rolled her eyes.

“We both know you were second best in class,” she said, turning around, her back to him. Poe’s mouth dropped open.

“ _ Second? _ ” he shook his head, but couldn’t think of anything else to say. After a moment, he spoke again. “I was going to help you clear your name.”

Lyra’s hands froze over the controls. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I didn’t think you believed me.”

Poe stared at her for a moment, incredulous. For all the time they spent together, training and learning, it bewildered him to think that they still didn’t understand each other. He believed in his friends, first and foremost. 

He frowned, thinking back to that day. Winder wasn’t exactly the best of the pilots; admittedly he was skilled, but he lacked natural reflexes. He wasn’t quick on his feet. He required  thorough preparation, something battle didn’t always allow you.

He had managed to sneak into the hanger the X-Wings were stationed in and sabotaged one. When the mechanics noticed it, their instructor had gone to question each of the cadets. Winder had pointed the finger at Lyra and their instructors-who never really liked Lyra in the first place thanks to her brashness and sharp wit-had found false reason after false reason to blame her. 

Finally, she had been kicked out. The higher-ups claimed that someone who sabotaged once was a loose wire, one that needed to be extinguished. And because of it, she had her dream of being a pilot for the Republic snatched away from her.

And Poe had done nothing. He  _ had  _ started to collect proof that Lyra hadn’t done anything, but by the time had had come up with a semi-convincing case, it had been too late. She’d already been kicked out and had left.

“Of course I believed you. I just...I wanted everyone else to believe you too. By the time I thought I could convince them...it was too late.”

Lyra didn’t reply.

Poe looked out into the swirling blue vortex of hyperspace. Finally he spoke again. “You didn’t say goodbye.”

Lyra turned to him, expression caught somewhere between affection and regret. “I couldn’t figure out how. And I know you: you never want to leave anyone behind. Why would you let me walk away?”

“If you wanted to, I would-”

“No you wouldn’t. Because you don’t give up on your friends-hell, you don’t give up on anyone. It’s why I didn’t tell you. I needed to figure things out on my own.”

“So you became a bounty hunter. Why?”

Lyra shut her eyes. “It pays well.”

“I want to understand, Lyra. But you’re not giving me a chance.”

In the corner of his eye, he saw her shoulders slump. She replied very quietly, “I know.”

He opened his mouth to say something in return, but ultimately closed it. He wanted to help, but didn’t know how. 

It felt like a blow to the gut, but not the first. The first had been being captured by the First Order, giving away the location of the map. Then the ongoing feeling of guilt because he had always known who Kylo Ren was. Because he couldn’t tell Rey, not even after she had been told by Kylo himself.

Now he had been reunited with his old friend. And he didn’t even know who she was anymore or if he could actually trust her.   
“We’re home,” Lyra whispered as they came out of hyperspace. Poe looked up, heart soaring at the sight of Yavin-4. For the first time in a very long time, he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: The trio's plans go awry, leaving them no choice to hide out in Poe's childhood home. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments! :)


	5. Beneath the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe, Finn and Lyra make their way to the Dameron family home, where they meet Poe's father. Meanwhile, Finn believes Lyra is still hiding something from them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, um, this was suppose to be up last month but I was an idiot and actually forgot to update this chapter, so very sorry about that. Once again, a huge round of thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for beta-ing this! I hope you all enjoy!

As the trio and Beebee-Ate continued their trek through the deepening forrest, Finn listened as Lyra and Poe continued to bicker. He couldn’t decide if they sounded like an old married couple or bickering siblings.

Beebee-Ate rolled leisurely at his side, making random bleeps and bloops. Although Finn still wasn’t a hundred percent certain of what the small droid was saying; he had gotten better at reading its’ body language. 

“Have they always been like this?” Finn said as he gestured at Poe and Lyra

Beebee-Ate gave a small nod, letting out a series of beeps. Finn nodded, only managing to decipher a “yes”. He  _ really _ needed to learn binary code. Finn turned his attention away from the bickering duo and glanced around their scenery. 

It was a beautiful planet, with trees that soared high into the sky, providing a lot of shade and cover. He could hear and somehow sense the different lifeforms making their way through the deepest parts of the forest. He could also vaguely hear the sound of running water.

He couldn’t imagine having grown up on a planet as beautiful as this, having grown up in a home with a loving family and friends that actually cared for him. Finn might have had the chance, once upon a time, but the First Order had snatched that away.

Swallowing hard, he forced down the thoughts that had been plaguing him since he’d woken from his coma-even longer before that. If he was completely honest with himself. 

“We’re almost there,” Lyra called. The confidence that Lyra usually carried seemed to have faded. Finn wondered if it was because she was back on her home planet, with her childhood friend.

The group broke through a clearing and all four froze, their eyes landing on the horrifying sight before them. Lyra’s eyes went wide at the sight of flames engulfing her home. “Wh-” she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her hands shook at her sides before she clenched them into fists, desperately trying to hide the pain and shock she was feeling.

Finn stared in horrified awe at the building, remembering his dream….

Before he could think too much on his sudden clairvoyance, Poe spoke up. “Lyra, does any of your bounty hunter friends know where you live?”

She shook her head. “N-no. They don’t.”

Finn met Poe’s eyes. “The First Order?”

“Probably,” Poe replied. “If it is, we need to get out of here, and fast.”

Lyra turned to them before saying, “I-I thought it would be safe here…” she trailed off, unable to continue. 

“So did I,” Poe admitted, “but it’s-”

Before he could continue his sentence, a noise sounded from overheard.  One that froze them all in their place.

“Blast,” Poe muttered.

“Now we definitely need to go,” Finn whispered, as the sound of the coming TIES grew louder.

“We’ll have to go through the lake,” Lyra said, “Come on!” 

Together, they raced through the dense forest. The group ran as fast as they could, desperate to outrun the TIES. The forest provided a lot of coverage, but sooner or later, the First Order would make their attack. 

“Through here!” Lyra shouted and they followed her. Finn shivered as they began to wade through the river. The icy cold water made it up to his knees before an explosion rocketed overhead, dangerously close. The TIES were closing in.

“Dive!” Finn shouted. “The temperature will corrupt their sensors!”  The water, it seemed, was even more icy once one dived fully in. The water stung at his eyes, but he forced them to stay open. He followed Poe and Lyra, trusting their guidance. After all, if any of them knew how to get out of here, it would be them.

A few seconds later, they resurfaced on the other side of the lake. They scrambled onto dry land. Finn slumped backwards, taking deep, greedy breaths. A bleep from behind gained his attention and he craned his neck to see Beebee-Ate sitting there. The droid had taken the longer and drier route back to them.

“Beebee-Ate’s right,” Poe said, pushing his now soaked dark hair out of his eyes. “We need a new place to lay low.” 

He and Lyra shared a glance for a moment. A silent argument seemed to pass between them before Poe finally sighed. “Fine,” he said aloud. “We’ll go there. But it’s a bad idea.”

“Come on, Poe, it’s been years since you’ve last seen him.” Lyra said, giving a small smile. 

Finn watched her curiously. Her personality had done a complete 180 since they had landed on Yavin. For the first time he wondered if her attitude on Naboo had simply been an act.

“To keep him safe,” Poe argued back. “When you end up being the Resistance’s best pilot, you make a few enemies. I couldn’t just pop in for family dinner whenever I felt like it.”

Lyra smirked. 

“Well you are now.” She said as she stood up and brushed off the knees of her trousers. She turned to Poe and Finn. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

* * *

When they broke through the tree lining, Finn caught a glimpse of two buildings. One looked more homely, with windows peeking inside, revealing what appeared to be a living room. The other building looked more like a workshop.

As they stepped closer to the building, Finn felt a shiver go down his spine. He turned around confusedly, catching glimpse of a medium sized tree in the yard. It stood not far from where he was standing. Strangely, it almost seemed like the tree was glowing. 

Before he could think anything of it, there was a loud whoop of joy. “Poe!”

The pilot in question looked up and caught sight of a man with graying hair standing on the balcony of the home. Poe’s face broke into a grin. “Papá!”

Kes Dameron looked down at the three newcomers, and a smile almost identical Poe’s appeared on the old man’s face. 

Within seconds, Kes had worked his way down to the ground level and had run to his son. He embraced him in a heartfelt hug that lasted a few seconds before the two men finally pulled away. The cheerful mood did not last, however, as Kes noticed Lyra, Finn, and Beebee-Ate. He turned back to his son, “This isn’t just a visit, is it?”

Poe shook his head, “I wish it were, but-”

“You don’t need to say anymore,” Kes cut in, placing his hand on Poe’s shoulder. “I’m always here for you.” Kes frowned, moving his hand off Poe. “Your jacket is wet.”

“There was an incident,” Finn put in. “With a lake.”

Kes turned to Finn for the first time and stepped forward to shake his hand, “You must be with the Resistance. Good to meet you-”

“Finn.”

“Good to meet you, Finn. Nice name, by the way.” Kes added. Finn smiled. 

The former Rebellion fighter then turned to Lyra and nodded, “Lyra Erso. I haven’t seen you in a very long time.”

“Hello, Kes.” Lyra said, her voice weary. “Have you-"

“They’re fine. They miss you, a lot. Wish you’d come back...but they’re fine.”

Lyra nodded, as if that’s all the information she needed. 

Everyone fell silent for a moment until Kes clapped his hands together. “Well, there’s no point standing here. You’re all soaking wet, and dinner’s being prepared inside. Let’s go,” Kes said, striding back toward the house. Poe gave Finn a small smile before he ran in step with his father.

It was amazing, Finn considered, how different Poe and Lyra acted once back on their homeworld. But Finn couldn’t help but wonder if Lyra’s recent behavior had to do with something else entirely. 

“Come on,” Lyra said, bumping his arm with her elbow. “Unless you want to be the local wildlife’s dinner.”

With that oh-so calming retort, Lyra marched toward the Dameron house without giving a look back. Finn looked down at Beebee-Ate, who had remained silent during the entire exchange with Kes, and said, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

* * *

Dinner was, quite frankly, delicious. Kes made good company, telling random jokes and stories from when Poe was a child-the latter had quickly gone up to clean up the kitchen when the stories got more embarrassing. Then Kes had told of some stories from the war-the Galactic Civil War, how good a shot Han Solo was, and of the time when Poe’s mother had worked alongside Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.

It was strange to hear those names in this way; names in history, but this time framed as the heroes and not the villains. Finn considered once more what the First Order had taken from him. The opportunity for dinners like this, with his own parents. A normal life.

Then he considered what he had gained because of the First Order. Now he had Poe, he had Rey, Beebee-Ate, Han and Leia and even Chewie. Perhaps the First Order had taken him from his biological family, but they had led him to a new family just as welcoming and kind. And really, if given the chance, would he change that?

The answer was simple:  _ no _ .

Finn glanced up at the stars. He had retreated to the balcony, in need of fresh air and a place to think, to think of his recent mysterious dreams and to consider the First Order’s plans. Moreover, he just liked looking up at the night sky. 

He closed his eyes, imagining the island he had been on in the dream. Somehow he knew that’s where Rey was, the _ real _ Rey. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if she too was looking up at the starry night sky.

“This was my favorite place when I was a kid,” Poe said from behind. Finn turned to see his friend leaned up against the doorway. Poe pointed at a particular constellation.

“My Mamá use to say that constellation was named Poe. She’d always tell me whenever I was upset that there was a whole constellation named after me, not the other way round. ‘Course, it’s not actually named that but….it was nice to believe in it.”

“It is nice,” Finn agreed. “She sounds wonderful."

“She was wonderful,” Poe said. “Every time she smiled, the room got a little brighter. She had a wit as sharp as a knife. She was good pilot, too.”

“Is that where you got it from?”

Poe nodded. “She took me up once. Let me help her pilot. That day I knew I wanted to be like her. I wanted to feel the freedom of flying for the rest of my life. I try every day to make her proud.”

“I haven’t known you for very long,” Finn said slowly, “But I’m pretty sure you have, Poe.”

The pilot watched Finn for a moment, considering his words. Then a small smile appeared on Poe’s face. 

They looked back up at the constellation for a moment. Finn let out a yawn.

“Don’t think I didn’t see that,” Poe said. “The rooms are to the right, best beds you can find. Get some rest, I’ll contact the General.”

Finn considered arguing, but decided it was probably mute. He nodded and walked back into the house, determined to remember Poe’s instructions to the room. As he did, he ran into Lyra, whose expression was slack. Her hands shook as she quickly slipped something into her pocket.

“What are you doing?” Lyra demanded, her voice wavering. 

“Going to bed. You?” Finn replied.

“I was checking something,” she answered. “Seeing if you two morons are still wanted. Apparently you are. The reward’s gone up, too.” She cleared her throat. “Guess you two are pains in the First Order’s bum.”

“Guess so,” Finn agreed, not really buying her excuses. That odd sense that she was keeping something from them was back.

“Night, Finn,” Lyra added, patting him thrice on the arm and bolting down the hall. He watched after her a moment, then retreated to one of the rooms.

Something was  _ definitely _ going on with her.


	6. The person behind the trigger....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Poe are left reeling after an unexpected betrayal, leaving them on the run from the First Order. Meanwhile, a new threat emerges...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus we've almost come to the end! Big round of applause to my friend Nor (you may know her as hanorganaas on tumblr or Theladymore here on Ao3), who constantly supports me with this fic series, threatens me with angst when I need it, and beta-ed this chapter! Thank you dear!
> 
> And of course to everyone who's left kudos or commented, you're all amazing and thanks for sticking around on the Rey Solo verse train!

Poe scrubbed his face with his hands. Of all the things to happen today, he hadn’t expected to end up back on his home planet with his childhood best friend again.

He looked up at the stars as he pulled out his comlink. He wondered what Shara Bey would think of Lyra. It was a thought that had often crossed his mind over the years, along with many others about his mother. Would she be proud of him for becoming a pilot like her? Would she disapprove of him joining the Resistance? Or would she be up there, fighting alongside him as well?

He shook his head and pressed the button on the communicator. No time to dwell on the past now. “Resistance Base, this is Poe, do you copy?”

There was a crackle and then- “ _ I was one of the men who helped take down the first  _ Death Star _ , Leia, I know how to work a comlink--I’m  _ pressing the button _ , it’s not--oh. Why didn’t you just tell me- _ ”

“ _ I was trying to tell you and technically, all you did was shoot a TIE fighter-” _

_ “But by doing so, Luke was able to destroy the  _ Death Star. _ ” _

“Guys?” Poe said, trying not to laugh.

_ “That they had rebuilt in a few years time-” _

_ “And that my best friend destroyed!” _

“Guys!” Poe said a little louder and the bickering stopped only to return a second later, except more hushed this time.

_ “You could’ve told me it was on-” _

_ “You pressed the button, of course it’s on, Han!” _

Poe heard someone clear their throat and then Han was speaking again, this time to Poe and not General Organa. “ _ We read you, Poe. What’s going on?” _

Poe quickly gave her and Han a run-down of what had happened. Once he’d finished, it felt like a huge weight came off his shoulders. Talking to them usually helped, unless the conversation was about the true identity of Kylo Ren.

“ _ Erso? Is she related to Jyn Erso?”  _ Leia inquired on the other end. 

“She’s Jyn and Cassian’s daughter.” Poe answered. He’d met the couple several times. The two couldn’t have been more different, but their love was one for the ages. In some ways they reminded him of Leia and Han. Minus all the bickering, mostly.

“ _ And you’ve never mentioned her,”  _ Han quipped sounding appalled. “ _ Does Rey know about her? _ ”

Poe’s heart sank. It was just another thing he had neglected to tell his best friend. At least this particular thing wouldn’t have such a negative effect on her. “No,” he said. “She doesn’t.”

“ _ Poe, do you think you can trust Lyra?”  _ Leia asked. “ _ I mean no disrespect, but you haven’t seen her in years. _ ”

Poe swallowed. He knew that it was a bad idea to trust a bounty hunter, that they could turn on someone in a dime, but Lyra was different. She was his friend. She’d been beside him through the ups and downs during training, until she was forced to leave. 

She’d saved his life already today, but he still felt that nagging sense that she was hiding something. The way she hadn’t been able to meet his, or Kes’s, eyes during dinner told him that much. 

He bit his bottom lip and answered as truthfully as he could. “I don’t know.”

Leia sighed on the other line. “ _ Just watch yourself, Poe.”  _

“I will.” he promised.

“ _ Oh hey, how’s Finn?” _ Han inquired. 

Poe glanced toward the door. “He’s...stubborn. His back isn’t doing too well, and I think something’s bothering him too.”

“ _ Other than the back?”  _ Han asked.

“Yeah,” Poe nodded, before remembering Han couldn’t see him. “It’s almost like-” before Poe could continue through, a familiar and terrifying sound screeched through the sky for the second time that day. The next second his comm-link crackled and went dead. “Disrupting transmissions,” he breathed, before running inside the door. 

He was met in the hallway by Kes. He breathed heavily, eyes wide with fear. “That was-”

“I’m sorry,” Poe breathed earnestly. “I didn’t want to drag you into this-”

Kes put his hands on Poe’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. “There’s no time for that now. Get Finn, Lyra and Beebee-Ate, get out of here and run. Do that for me.”

Poe shook his head, “I can’t leave you-”

“You have more important things to protect. That map is the only future the Resistance has left. I may be an old man, but I can handle myself.”

Poe’s stomach dropped and the world came crashing down around him. It was happening again. For a split second, he could have sworn he was on Jakku again, talking with Lor San Tekka. The image of Kylo Ren senselessly slicing down the man who believed in peace, simply for mentioning the Solos, appeared in Poe’s mind. 

He couldn’t let that happen to his father, not after his mother-

Kes must’ve sensed Poe’s inner turmoil because he shook his head. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’ll still be here when the mission’s over. Now do as I tell you and run.” 

Poe bit his bottom lip again, tears springing to his eyes as he gave his father a quick hug. “I love you.” 

“I love you too. Now go!” 

Poe pulled away and headed for Finn’s room. Before he had even reached it, he almost ran into Beebee-Ate. The small droid was beeping frantically. Finn appeared behind it a second later. “Lyra’s gone.” He said.

It was a sucker punch to the gut. “What?”

Finn shook his head. “I can’t find her. The only thing in the room was her commlink….I think she…” he couldn’t bring himself to finish.

_ Never trust a bounty hunter. _

Those had been her words back on the ship. But he had anyway. Believed that maybe there was a chance she wanted to help them for reasons that didn’t involve snitching to the First Order, risking their lives.

For a bounty.

He swallowed. “Doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here, fast. There’s an old Rebel base a few klicks from here, there’s some old ships there...we might be able to take one. It’s a one in a million chance, but it’s better than staying here like sitting lothal cats.”

“Sounds good,” Finn nodded. “We’d better get a move on then. What about your dad?”

Poe glanced backwards. “He’s...he’s got his own escape. We need to focus on our’s.”

Finn stared at him for a long moment. He understood the sympathy plain in his eyes, before nodding. “Let’s go.”

* * *

It was funny how Finn and Poe’s friendship always seemed to attract TIE fighters.

Another blast rang off behind them. Finn could almost see the old temple Poe had told him about. Where the Rebel Alliance was once stationed during the Battle of Yavin standing ahead in the distance.  _ Almost there,  _ he thought,  _ gotta outrun the TIE fighters, find a ship and- _

And then their path was blocked by a line of stormtroopers. Their blasters raised and pointed at them. 

Poe and Finn skidded to a stop. Beebee-Ate let out a loud screech as it stopped rolling, kicking up a small cloud of dirt.

The sound of clapping echoed across the forest floor, followed by a laugh. The line of stormtroopers parted briefly as a tall, slim figure moved gracefully toward them. She wore dark clothes, an armored chestplate and boots. Two lightsabers hung at her hips. 

Her skin was a bright blue, her eyes a vivid red and a bared smile on her face. “Poe Dameron and FN-2187,” said the Knight of Ren, “Pleasure to meet you at last.”

Poe and Finn shared a glance as Beebee-Ate let out a worried whistle.

“Who are you?” Poe called. 

“You may call me Eris,” the Chiss woman said, stalking toward them. She reached out a hand and placed it on Poe’s cheek. “You’re the infamous Poe Dameron. The man who put Agent Terrex in jail and the man who watched an entire village be slaughtered in front of him.”

Poe stiffened all over. “W-what did you say-?”

Eris laughed cruelly as she pulled away from him. “Your thoughts are more transparent than you’d think, Poe Dameron. Like the betrayal you feel because of your friend Lyra Erso. If it helps any, she’s still alive. In fact-” Eris paused turned toward the troopers. “Let us see Miss Erso, bring her out, will you?”

The troopers parted once more and two figures marched through. One of them, an officer, dragged the second figure roughly by the arm. Finn’s heart dropped as the officer threw her to the ground.

Eris waved her arm at Lyra Erso, face bloody and clothes smeared with mud. “See how a far a bounty goes, boys. It doesn’t go far.”

Poe moved forward impulsively, but Eris held out her hand, freezing him in place. She moved over to Finn. She tilted his head up and looked him in the eye. She frowned. “Yet I can’t sense what you’re thinking. There’s a block, such a shame. I hate not knowing things.” She pouted and moved away, towards Lyra.

“You have something I want, boys. But I know you’ll die before you give it to us. So how about this,” she pulled out her lightsaber and ignited it. A crimson blade surged to life. It cackled and sent a glow across the dark forest.  “Tell me the location of Luke Skywalker, or Lyra Erso dies.”

“Don’t-” Lyra began, but Eris send a sharp kick to Lyra’s stomach. The force sent Lyra backwards onto the ground. Finn started forward and the spell on Poe broke too. He moved forward as well, but a shot rang out; hitting the spot in front of them cleanly.

“These troopers have precise aim,” Eris called out. “Move to stop me, you die. Location of Skywalker,  _ now _ .”

“We don’t have the map, in case you didn’t get that memo when your base was getting destroyed.” Finn retorted.

Eris glared at Finn. “Your little friend’s life is on the line and you’re going to crack jokes?” 

“No time like the present,” Finn said with a shrug. “Cos you see, we’re at a standstill here. You have all your troops, all your weapons, but really they’re pointless. Cos you’re not going to kill us, we have the information you need. And you’re not going to kill her either. Because you know if you do, then we’ll never talk. All those threats and yet you never deliver.”

Eris flicked her lightsaber off. “You’re right. I’m not going to kill her, or either of you. But I have no problem with torturing the two of you, slowly and agonizingly until eventually one of you break.” She turned around. “Cuff them.”

Two troopers moved toward Finn and Poe. Beebee-Ate rolled forward, pulling out its main method of defense and went to shock the stormtroopers. Unfortunately one of the troopers threw something on the ground in front of the droid. The next second, a small bang went off and the little droid stopped moving.

It was an EMP grenade.

Poe stared helplessly at his droid as he and Finn were cuffed and pushed forward. No doubt it was toward wherever Eris’s ship was. As they were marched forward, they walked past Lyra. 

She never met their eyes but Finn heard her say softly, “I’m sorry.”

_ If only that could change things, _ he thought bitterly.

* * *

Poe stared at the black, shiny wall ahead of him. The bench they’d thrown him into when they had boarded the First Order base (it looked temporary, thank the maker) wasn’t very comfortable to sit on.

The cell was smaller than the one he’d been imprisoned in on _ the Finalizer _ . It was also a lot colder. Obviously someone fancied a freezing base rather than a warm one. He shivered as he leaned his back against the wall behind him. He shut his eyes and took deep breaths.

If Eris was anywhere near as ruthless as Kylo Ren, then he needed to prepare for whatever trick she had up her sleeve. He wasn’t going to fail the Resistance, not again. Certainly not when his best friend’s life was at stake.

Maybe she could succeed where he had failed, Poe thought. Rey was the daughter of two war heroes, the niece of another. If anyone could bring balance to the galaxy, it would be her. 

He shook his head. Now he was thinking as if it were all over, said and done. But it wasn’t. There was still a chance that they could escape. He stood up and began tapping on the walls. He tried to find out how thick they were, not very. Finally, he began to tap out a firm but steady rhythm.

A couple of seconds ticked by before a series of knocks came back to him.

_ Finn. _

He moved up toward the wall and said, “Finn?”

“I’m on the other side,” said Finn. “Walls aren’t very thick here. If we were on  _ the Finalizer _ , this would be impossible.” 

Poe let out a sigh of relief. “Is there anyway to get out?”

“No. Not until they come back.”

Poe gently pressed his head to the wall, squeezing his eyes shut. No Beebee-Ate, no Force sensitive bestfriend, no weapons. 

They were outgunned, outmanned. No chance of escape. The odds were well and truly against them. And if they didn’t stop the First Order, then they’d find Skywalker...and then it’d all be over.

The Resistance’s hope would die and the galaxy would be left in the shadows of the dark side and the First Order. Fear would plague and kill just as easily as an disease; and Supreme Leader Snoke would win. 

His thoughts turned to Shara Bey; what would she do right now if she were in his shoes? How would she continue to fight against the shroud of the dark side? 

Then, like a beacon through the Force, her words rang clear through his head:

_ “The Rebellion was founded on hope. Hope that the light side would prevail. And hope can conquer fear. Never lose hope, Poe, it is the strongest weapon you could ever have. Blasters can only get you so far, but your mind, your heart, your soul, that is what will keep you going.” _

“Alright,” Poe whispered, opening his eyes. He took a deep breath. “I’ve got a plan.” 


	7. Half burned in flames;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While trying to escape, Finn and Poe finds themselves face to face with Eris once more...and Finn takes his first step toward his destiny....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's just one chapter left! *Luke voice* NO! Ahem, the title of this chapter is taken from the Tamer song "Beautiful Crime", which I am absolutely in love with. 
> 
> Once again, major thanks to hanorganaas (Theladymore) for beta-ing this chapter for me and supporting/cheering me on. This fic wouldn't be where it is without her. And of course, major thanks to everyone who has stuck around and has read this fic and left kudos and comments. 
> 
> Note: there is mental torture in this fic (like the kind seen in TFA). Just a quick warning. Also violence throughout!

Finn waited with eyes closed as he listened intently for any footsteps outside. Poe’s plan was a solid one, but it’d only work if they knew for certain when a guard would approach.

His senses were heightened. Was it from the thin walls or the adrenaline? Finn didn’t know, what he did know was that he could almost picture the empty corridor outside and it’s darkened, metallic hallways. At last, he heard the tell-tale sign of footfalls, however lighter than he’d anticipated. 

“Poe,” he knocked softly against the wall. “We’ve got someone coming...but I don’t think it’s a trooper.”

“Eris?” Poe asked.

Finn started to say he didn’t know, but he did. It wasn’t Eris on the other side of the door. He didn’t feel that suffocating  _ darkness _ that he felt when she was around. Instead, he felt a wave of emotions from the corridor that could only belong to one person.

A second later, the door to his cell opened and Lyra Erso stood there. She held a blaster limply at her side. There were tear tracks running down her cheeks and the blood on her face had dried. Her hair was a matted down, muddy mess, but despite this there was a fire in her eyes.

“You can shoot a blaster, right?” she breathed hoarsely. 

“I was a stormtrooper, of course I can shoot a blaster.” Finn replied, debating on mentioning on how he was one of the best shots in the academy. It didn’t feel like the time though.

“Good,” Lyra disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a blaster. She tossed it to Finn, who caught it with ease. She exhaled. 

“Not easy taking out those bucketheads quietly. C’mon,” she stepped outside and Finn followed her cautiously. Reason told him that this, too, could be a trick. 

_ Trust her, _  said a voice, seemingly from nowhere. Finn glanced around confused, but saw no one that the voice could belong to. More so, Lyra didn’t react to it at all. She was too busy working on the control panel on Poe’s cell.

Finally, she got the door to open. She hesitated a moment before stepping inside. Finn held back at the door, looking left and right for any signs of trouble. He was ready to fire at any moment.

* * *

Poe watched as Lyra stepped into the room. She seemed smaller than usual, all bravado having disappeared entirely. The snark and the confidence had been replaced by a look of shame and insecurity.

He had barely whispered her name when she threw herself at him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried against her own arms. He froze, this was certainly the last thing he expected. Lyra had never been the one to show affection. In fact, he could only remember hugging her two other times in his life: once after they had done well on a flight simulator, and right after she’d been expelled; he had hugged her in an attempt to comfort her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered faintly. She pulled away but kept her hands on his arms. “I didn’t…” she ducked her head, inhaling sharply before forcing herself to look back up at him. “I didn’t want this to happen.”

Poe couldn’t seem to find his voice and from her expression, Lyra knew it.

“When I got the tip for a bounty, I didn’t know it was from the First Order...or that the bounty was you..and Finn. I tried turning them down but they knew about our connection, thought it would help them capture you…..they threatened my parents, Poe. I couldn’t-” she broke off. “I can’t lose them.”

Poe stared at her for a moment, gaze unwavering. At last, he nodded. “You won’t have to, Lyra. But we need to get out of here, before Eris finds out that you’ve-”

“Betrayed us?” said a silky voice. Poe froze and Lyra’s eyes widened in fear. She turned around, arm held out in front of Poe as if she could shield him. Eris stood in the doorway. Two stormtroopers were behind her, holding Finn back. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.” 

Eris strode into the room and flicked on her lightsaber, pointing it at Lyra. “The First Order doesn’t appreciate traitors, as young FN-2187 is about to learn.” 

Poe started forward and Lyra had to keep him held back. 

“Did you know,” Eris stated calmly, lowering her lightsaber and striding forward. With a flick of her wrist, Lyra went flying back against the wall. She struggled against an invisible force. Finn grunted from outside the room, fighting against the iron grip of his own captors.

Eris strode toward Poe. He braced himself, swallowing hard. She stopped when they were nearly chest to chest and she raised her hand. There it was. A familiar, awful tickling at the back of his head, growing stronger with each passing second until the pain of it grew unbearable.

“Oh,” Eris chuckled, “you’ve been through this before, haven’t you? Kylo Ren...hmmm….he is good at this.” She closed her eyes, probing further. “Oh, there’s a lot in your pretty little head.”

Poe bit his bottom lip so hard he tasted blood. He couldn’t give up the information--

And just like that, he was back on  _ the Finalizer.  _ His body strapped to a chair, an agonizing pain knifing through his head as Kylo Ren, the brother of Poe’s best friend and the son of his commanders, searched viciously for the information he needed.

Poe’s knees buckled and he hit the floor. Lyra and Finn cried out, but all Poe could hear were the sounds of blaster fire.

“ _ What of the villagers?” _

_ “Kill them all.” _

_ “On my command….fire.” _

“No..” Poe breathed.

Outside the room, Finn continued to struggle against the hold of his captors. He had to stop Eris from doing whatever the hell she was doing-he  _ had _ to.

_ Trust in the Force, _ whispered a voice. 

Finn froze, glancing around the corridor. The voice didn’t sound familiar, but it felt...warm. Trustworthy. But Finn didn’t have the Force, Rey did.

Then it all came snapping back to him: the strange dream he had of the woman who looked and sounded like Rey, but wasn’t. Back on that island….

_ Do not waste your talents, Finn. Trust within the Force. And remember: these are your first steps. _

That had been her words exactly. He bit his lip, thinking but not quite knowing what he was going to do. That was until he spotted the blaster Lyra had given him lying on the ground not three meters away. He glanced back toward Eris, thought about how she seemed to tense and relax at the same time while she used the strange power that was the Force.

He squeezed his eyes shut, exhaling sharply. A wave of some sort of energy crashed around him and he became hyper aware of his surroundings….the fear radiating from the cell room in front of him, the sounds of machinery and droids...the soft and familiar chirp of a beebee unit….

The blaster wiggled...then went soaring through the air, smacking one of Finn’s captors upside the head with a loud crack. Not quite the landing he’d been hoping for…

Finn elbowed the second trooper in the stomach, whirling out of his grasp and sending a kick to the trooper’s chest. They went stumbling backwards and Finn grabbed a discarded blaster, firing just as the trooper managed to catch his balance. The stormtrooper hit the floor.

He turned to the room, blaster at the ready but Eris was waiting. She had a lightsaber ignited, aimed at Poe, and her hand outstretched toward Lyra.  The Bounty Hunter was gasping, fingers clawing at her neck. “One more step, traitor, and I will kill your precious friends.”

Finn’s jaw clenched and he tapped into that bizarre power once more, arm out-stretched. Eris’s second lightsaber went flying through the air and into his hands. Without hesitation, he ignited it. “Not today,” he breathed and charged into the room. 

Eris barely had time to react; she moved her lightsaber just in time to block Finn’s attack, surprised. She whirled away, swinging her lightsaber at Finn. He was forced to back out of the room and into the corridor. Eris followed, forgetting about Poe and Lyra.

* * *

Lyra rushed toward Poe, clutching at his arms, trying to get him to look at her. “Poe, Poe! Look at me!”

He shook his head, snapping out of whatever daze Eris had put him under. His eyes focused on Lyra and he grew aware of his surroundings again. He glanced around frantically. “Where’s Eris?”

“She and Finn are fighting. He-I don’t even know what he did, but he took her second lightsaber. It went flying through the air and into his hand. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Poe’s eyes widened. Rey had described a similar event to him, right before she left for Ach-Too to find Luke Skywalker. How, in the heat of the moment, Rey had pulled a lightsaber out of the snow and right into her hand.

“The Force,” Poe whispered hoarsely. “Finn…” he struggled to get onto his feet, but his legs wobbled. Lyra had to catch him. Guilt soared through him-she was in no better shape, but she was trying her best to help.

“The Force?” Lyra repeated. “Like the Jedi?”

Poe nodded. “Exactly like the Jedi.” He groaned as he tried to stand again. “We need to get out of here, figure out how to get rid of this base and then get off planet.”

Lyra smirked. “I’ve already got a way to get rid of this base, they’re just waiting on my signal.”

“They?”

Lyra smiled, light dancing in her eyes. “Beebee-Ate, of course.”

Poe’s eye lit up. “Beebee-Ate’s okay?” 

“Online and running again. Just waiting on our signal that we’re out of here and then they’re gonna blow this place to oblivion. Can you walk?” 

Poe nodded. “That,” he made a vague motion, gesturing at his head, “just caught me off guard.”

“Gonna tell me what Eris meant by ‘you’ve been through this before’?”

Poe grimaced. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we’re off-world.” 

* * *

Finn backed away, raising his lightsaber up and narrowly blocking one of Eris’s hits. They were backing down the corridor and into a circular control room. In his peripheral vision, he could see the exit.

He swung his lightsaber forward but Eris blocked the attack. Whirling around, she slashed her lightsaber forward but Finn caught the attack with his saber. He jumped back and swung his lightsaber forward again.

This time, he managed to catch her, the blade making contact with her shoulder. He was briefly reminded of his battle with Kylo Ren, but the next second, Eris came back. She was fighting even more viciously than before.

Finn was good with a lightsaber, but he wasn’t properly trained with one. Sure, there had been courses at the First Order on how to use sabers and such, but Finn had always been best with a blaster. But sheer determination was enough to get him going.

He blocked most of her attacks, dodging others. He was growing tired and he knew that was what Eris was counting on. 

As Eris sliced her blade through the air, Finn stumbled backwards, glancing around and jumping over the control panel. Eris’s lightsaber made contact with the panel seconds later, destroying the controls. The exit door, by some form of blind luck, hissed open. Finn ran out the door, Eris close behind.

As they ran, their blades connected more than once. They were on a cat-walk, some twenty feet from the ground, that circled around the entirety of the base. It had been temporarily moved to an old communications tower. Finn swung his lightsaber forward, but Eris parried the blow. “You’ll have to do better than that, traitor.”

Finn responded by kicking her in the gut, sending her stumbling backwards. She glared at him, crimson eyes blazing. 

“Does that count as doing better?” Finn inquired innocently. She screamed in rage and rushed forward, her attacks more vicious and unpredictable than before.

* * *

“Where are we going?” Poe asked as Lyra dragged him down the corridors.

“Here,” she said as they entered a control room. It was empty, miraculously. She let go of Poe once he’d grabbed hold of the control panel to keep him standing. Lyra started working at the keys, pressing in a bunch of numbers he couldn’t see.

“So what are we doing, then?”

“I’m ordering off the troops at my parents’ place,” Lyra answered. “And now…” she moved to a different set of controls. “I’m going to find Finn. If Beebee-Ate is going to destroy this place, we all need to be clear of it. Except for Eris. I wouldn’t mind if she was blown to smithereens.” 

“That’s the bright side of looking at things,” Poe muttered. Lyra’s hands froze on the keys as she looked up at him.

“I may pretend I don’t, but I do care. She threatened my parents, tortured you and now she’s fighting Finn...I wouldn’t mind if she got dropped into a rancor pit.” 

“There’s the Lyra I remember from the Academy,” Poe remarked. 

“She’s never left,” Lyra responded seconds later she froze. “Kriff.”

“What is it?” Poe made his way around the control to see what she was looking at. On the screen was Finn and Eris, still locked in a duel, on the cat-walk.

“Kriff,” Poe repeated. 

* * *

“You’re foolish,” hissed Eris as she swung her lightsaber at Finn. He promptly ducked, “If you truly believe you can defeat me.”

“Yeah, I don’t care about your villainess speech, lady,” Finn retorted, swinging his lightsaber forward. Eris held her’s up, blocking the blow.  For a moment, their blades were locked together. Then in the next second, she made a quick motion and Finn’s lightsaber went flying out of his hands and down below to the ground.

“Like I said,” Eris purred as she moved forward. Finn stumbed backwards. “Foolish.” 

Her lightsaber hissed and crackled as the blade bumped against the railing. Finn inhaled sharply, trying to think. If he could pull things  _ to  _ him using the Force, couldn’t he push them away?

Closing his eyes, he felt the Force flow through him. He opened his eyes and held his hand out, concentrating deeply.

* * *

“What the hell is he doing?” Lyra cried.

Poe couldn’t answer. He gripped the control panel tightly, not ready to watch another friend of his die, praying that Finn had something planned.

* * *

Eris continued moving and nothing was happening.

_ Trust in the Force, Finn.  _

Wasn’t that what he was doing?

_ Trust in the Force...and trust in yourself. Remember what you have to live for...channel those emotions into it.  _

Finn thought furiously. Rey. He had Rey, he had Poe, he had General Organa, Solo, Lando Calrissian, Beebee-Ate, and now Lyra. And he wasn’t ready to leave them. They were his family.

He took even breaths and closed his eyes. He could still  _ see _ Eris stalking towards him. He could feel concern somewhere on the other side of the base coming from Poe and Lyra. 

And nearly a galaxy away, he could see Rey, standing on top of a cliff, talking with a man in grey cloaks….

Finn opened his eyes and this time when he moved his hand forward, palm out, Eris’s eyes opened in shock as an invisible force shoved her backwards. She stumbled, hitting the railing that her lightsaber had hit earlier, and the railing gave away. With a scream of horror, Eris fell backwards, down to the ground below.

* * *

“YES!” Lyra cheered. “Not quite a rancor pit, but it’ll do!”

“Seriously?”

“You said you missed the old Lyra,” she reminded him with a wink.

Poe rolled his eyes. “C’mon, we’ve gotta get out here.”

“Right,” Lyra said, clearing her throat. Together, they headed down the hallways, toward the other end of the base. Halfway there, they ran straight into Finn. He was panting heavily and looked exhausted..

“You okay, buddy?” Poe asked.

Finn winced. “I’ll be fine. We need to get out of here.”

“Thought you’d never ask,” Lyra said. “As soon as we do, Beebee-Ate’s gonna blow this place sky-high. Otherwise this place with never get rid of the Eris’s smell.” 

And so, together the three ran out of the base and back into the forest. A few minutes past until a small, round orange blur went careening towards them, screeching. The next second, the communications tower exploded into a fiery ball, sending a heatwave toward them, and a boom followed that made them all stumble backwards, ears pounding.

As the flames began to die down, Poe bent to the ground and smiled at Beebee-Ate. “You did it, buddy!” The droid beeped happily in return. 

“And there goes all the information on my parents and your friend,” Lyra mused. She turned to Finn. “I’m sorry for what happened-”

“You saved our lives,” Finn said with a shake of his head. “That’s all that matters.”

She smiled and all four fell silent, watching as the flames continued to engulf what was left of the tower, casting the small group of heroes in an orange glow.


	8. after the sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our group of intrepid heroes recover from their mission, and Finn reunites with Rey for real this time. Meanwhile, Poe and Lyra have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A full year later, my muse for this fic finally returned. My apologies for such a long wait (I sincerely doubt any of you are looking for updates anymore). Thank you all so much for reading my little Rey Solo AU, but for now I think it is drawing to a close, aside from updates to the Last Inquisitor.
> 
> Major kudos to hanorganaas who has been such a wonderful cheerleader, friend, and beta. I am so, so lucky to have her, and I sincerely recommend you check out her fics because they're fricking amazing.
> 
> Enjoy!

By the next morning, they managed to get back to the Dameron farm. Kes was grinning and waving at them. Beebee-Ate rushed forward, chirping away happily to him. Finn and Lyra stood back as Poe once again reunited with his father.

  
After a delicious breakfast, Kes announced that he had a holotable they could use to contact the   
Resistance. A few minutes later, the five of them were gathered around the table. Leia’s blue   
holographic figure watching over them.

 

_ “Thank you Ms. Erso for helping thwart the First Order, and rescuing Finn and Poe _ .” Leia said once they’d finished their tale.  _ “What the Resistance would do without them? I don't know.” _

 

Lyra gave a wan smile, but said nothing at the praise. 

 

Leia's gaze moved to Finn, and her eyes softened. “ _ Rey has completed her own mission, and will be returning to D’Quar soon with my brother. Perhaps he will be able to shed some light on your abilities.” _

 

Finn nodded eagerly, not from excitement of the possibility of training with Luke Skywalker, but from the fact he was about to see  Rey again. 

 

“ _ Another job well done.”  _ Leia said, and unless Finn was imagining things, he could see a smile upturned the corners of her lips as she turned off the comm.

  
Kes turned to Poe, “I guess you’re heading back, huh?”

  
“Guess so,” Poe said as he turned to Lyra. “Do you mind giving us a lift home?”

  
Lyra blinked. “You trust me enough to do that?”

 

“Of course,” Poe said with a warm smile. 

 

Finn smiled and looked down at Beebee-Ate, as the droid chirped softly at him.   


 

As they headed back to Lyra’s ship, loaded down with backpacks filled with supplies that Kes had given them, Finn glanced over at the tree he had noticed when they’d first arrived. Now he was absolutely certain that it was glowing. Noticing Finn look at the tree, Poe appeared at his side.   
  


“It’s Force Sensitive,” Poe said, gesturing toward the tree. “Luke Skywalker gave it to my _ madre _   
after a mission.”

  
“I noticed it when we first got here,” Finn said.   
  


Lyra appeared at Poe’s right. “Probably your abilities, with that...what is it? Force voodoo?”

  
“Now you’re starting to sound like Solo,” Poe said with a grin and his eyes twinkling with light.

  
“Don’t your parents believe in the Force?” Finn asked Lyra. She just shrugged.

  
“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean I do. Well...maybe that’s changed after the past few days,” she admitted, as she cast a glance at Finn. “Guess it takes seeing something in order to believe in it.”

  
Finn nodded at her, feeling a sense of ease and belonging. He was different and he was fine with that. 

 

There was a brief moment of silence until Beebee-Ate chirped, reminding them to get a move on. The group obliged and headed off. They left the farm behind them in the distance.

 

This time, Finn didn’t look back.

Finn watched as Poe and Lyra bickered as they set the coordinates for hyperspace. They reminded him a little of Han and General Organa.

  
Finn shook his head, settling down in a seat when the sound of beeping echoed through the   
cockpit. 

 

“Someone’s trying to contact us.” Lyra said with a hint of  surprise in her voice. 

  
“General Organa?” Finn suggested.

  
Poe shook his head.

 

“Wrong frequency. It looks like it’s the--” Poe trailed off as the speakers in the cockpit crackled to life. Finn felt his heart leap as a female voice began to speak.

  
_ “I leave for a few days and you two get captured by the First Order? Seriously?” _

  
“Rey!” Finn cried. 

  
The sarcasm disappeared in Rey’s voice, “ _ Finn--are you okay? How’s your back?” _

 

Finn bit his lip. He wondered if he should tell her about the pain he’d been dealing with over the past few days. It had flared up again the night before. Thankfully Kes had given him some pain relievers, which had helped immensely.

 

“It’s better,” Finn said simply, deciding that it was best not to worry Rey.   
  
“ _ Well _ ,” added a new voice, “ _ I’m glad to hear that. _ ”   
  


The room lapsed into silence. Everyone in the galaxy knew that voice. They knew it from holovids and recordings watched or listened to in school. 

 

It was the voice of a legend.

 

Poe was the one to break the silence, barely masking his childlike enthusiasm. “Luke...Luke Skywalker?”

  
There was a chuckle,  _ “That’s me. I’ve heard all about you. Finn, and Poe Dameron,Rey’s best friends.” _

  
_ “We’re on our way back to D’Qar _ ,” Rey paused,  _ “Will you be there when we get there?” _

  
“With any luck,” Poe replied. “And we’ll be bringing a friend.” 

 

He glanced over at Lyra who ducked her head.

 

  
“ _ I’m quite curious to see what D’Qar looks like,” _ Luke mused, interrupting the two friends’ squabbling _.“I’ve heard all about it as well.” _

  
_ “Uncle... _ ” Rey started, but when they heard someone say something inaudible in the background, she stopped.

 

“ _ I’m coming _ !” Luke said. There was a shuffle on the comms. There was silence for a moment before Rey spoke again.   
  


_ “Mom told me what happened...are you all okay?” _

 

The room grew heavy with silence. In the end, Lyra  answered. “I think...we will be.”

  
Finn stayed quiet for awhile, then spoke. “Are  _ you _ okay?”

 

There was a long silence on the other end as Lyra and Poe shared a glance. They seemed to have a silent conversation, but a second later stood from their seats.

 

Poe patted Finn on the arm as he walked out of the room. Lyra stopped by Finn and said, “It’s on autopilot. Talk to her as long as you want.”

  
And then the room was empty. Even Beebee-Ate had left.

  
“Rey?” Finn asked.

  
_ “I’m sorry _ .”

  
“Sorry?” Finn repeated. “For what?”

  
_ “You got hurt...because of me _ .”

  
“No, not because of you! Because of Kylo Ren--” Finn began to argue.

_   
_ _ “No,” Rey interrupted,  I should’ve sent you off with Poe and Chewie when we were trying to destroy the thermaloscillator. I should’ve done it on my own-” _

  
Finn turned around, scrubbing his face with his hands.

  
_ “I could’ve lost you _ .” Rey whispered. 

  
“You didn’t, though.” Finn said. “I’m still alive, so are you. We’ve still got each other, alright? That's what counts.”

 

A long stretch of silence passed, and then Finn felt a slight shift of the air, a phantom hand on his shoulder. Warmth flooded through his entire body, and he exhaled softly. He could  _ feel _ her, even so many light-years away.

 

“ _ It is true,”  _ Rey whispered as he returned the favor. She said no more, but Finn understood perfectly. They weren't alone.

 

“ _ Finn?” _

 

“Yeah?”

 

_ “I missed you.” _

 

“I missed you, too.” 

  
  


When Lyra’s ship touched down, the landing bay was swarming with Resistance officers. Finn caught sight of Connix, an officer with blonde hair, talking animatedly with General Organa.

 

Han swaggered over with a lopsided smile on his face. “I knew you'd come back alive.”

 

“Thanks,” Finn said. Han smiled and patted him on the shoulder, before he moved on to greet Poe.

 

With  no glimpse of  _ the Falcon _ yet, Finn made his way over to Lyra who was not so subtly watching Poe.

 

“How long have  you been in love with him?” Finn asked. Lyra’s head snapped toward him.

 

“What?”

 

“You’re not as subtle as you think.” Finn replied with a small smile. Lyra sighed and her shoulders sagged.

 

“A year after we became friends, I realized I loved him when I got jealous of this pilot, Mason, flirting with him. It took me months after that to even admit to myself I was in love with Poe.”

 

“So what did you do?” Finn asked.

 

“I didn't do anything, never had the courage.Then I was framed for sabotage I didn't commit and I was kicked out of the Academy.”  

 

“You could tell him now.” Finn suggested. It didn't seem fair for Lyra to continue loving Poe from afar; nothing he knew about Lyra’s life seemed fair. 

 

“No. I won't, because...because he deserves the world...someone who can always be completely honest. That's not me. It’s never been me.”

 

Lyra placed her hand on Finn’s shoulder. “If you love someone, Finn, don't wait. Tell them.”

 

“I don't… I don't know what you mean.” Finn said, but his tone was only half convincing. He had a nagging feeling that Lyra was speaking about the same person that made his heart race; the person  the Force knew he trusted the most.

 

“We just met.” Finn said lamely. 

 

“My parents knew each other for a week before they realized that maybe, one day, they could be more. It isn’t the time that matters, Finn. It’s the people.” Lyra said softly, her expression serious. Suddenly,she saw something behind him and a smile spread across her face.

 

“Speaking of which…” she moved away from him. Finn turned to see the Falcon descending toward the end of the landing bay. 

 

The crowd gathered around the ship as it touched down. The ramp lowered with a hiss and the entire landing bay fell silent as a figure dressed in dark clothes descended the ramp. He had graying hair and a beard freckled with blonde. His eyes twinkled blue. 

 

Then a woman and a boy appeared behind him. The boy had auburn hair and bright blue eyes, soft almost elfish features. Beside him, the woman stood with her shoulders back, long scarlet hair that flowed majestically behind her. 

 

It was General Organa that broke the silence. “Luke…”

 

Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, smiled warmly at his sister. 

 

“Oh great…” Han said in a loud voice. “Mara.”

 

“Solo,” the redhead nodded in his direction. “I see you’re not dead.”

 

“I could say the same about you.” Han replied dryly.

 

Finn stared at the youngest boy with curiosity. He looked a lot like a very young Luke Skywalker but with auburn features. The boy glanced around, eyes filled with nervous energy. He couldn't have been more than twelve years old.

 

But Finn’s attention was brought back to the top of the ramp. A small figure slowly descended it. Finn took a deep intake of breath. Her hair fell to her shoulders in waves and she looked so much older than when he had last seen her.

 

Her hazel eyes fell on him and suddenly, all he could see was her. Her smile was brighter than any sun, her eyes twinkled better than any star. Finn was fairly certain his heart skipped a beat in his chest.

 

_ Rey. _

It was past dark now. Lyra made her way to  _ the Ghost. _ She hoped to sneak out while no one was paying attention. She was never good at goodbyes.

 

But she found her path blocked by none other than Poe Dameron. His bronze skin illuminated by the soft glow of the moon and his dark hair seeming more tousled than usual. Gods, if he didn't look like a goddamn angel…

 

“Leaving?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

 

Lyra was unable to look at him, shame washed over her for trying to leave without seeing him again. But there was no judgment in his eyes or in his tone. Just a sort of sad resignation.

 

“Figured I’d let you get back to your rebellion.” Lyra replied with a shrug, striding toward him. “I don't think you’d want a selfish bounty hunter in your midst, especially not one that's already betrayed you once.”

 

“Oh, you never know. We could use a pilot like you in the Resistance, and Jessika hasn't stopped grilling me about you, so I think you’ve already got a third friend here.” Poe said with a cheeky smile. 

 

“Third?” Lyra repeated.

 

“Betrayed us or not, you had our backs when we needed it. So you will always have a friend in Finn and I.” Poe answered.

 

Lyra smiled, a feeling of warmth flooding through her chest. It had been too long since she had any friends. Since the Academy, she had become a loner.

 

“You always had a knack for saying what I needed to hear.” Lyra commented, nudging him slightly. 

 

Poe grimaced at her words. “Not always, I shouldn’t have waited to tell you: I believed you.”

 

“Given the fact that you're standing here talking to me after everything, I think we can put the Academy behind us.” Lyra replied easily.

 

“You didn't have a choice.” he reminded her gently, taking a small step forward. “Also…”

 

“Also?”

 

His gaze turned soft. “There was a lot I didn't get to say that I wish I had at the Academy, too.”

 

Lyra froze, her heart thumping wildly. He couldn't mean…? She'd notice if he felt anything for her. He was so  _ obvious _ when he liked someone…

 

As obvious as he was being  _ now _ …

 

“We're here now...why not say them?”

 

“Because I'm not sure you want to hear it.” Poe said, his expression so  _ vulnerable _ that it took her by surprise. “And I’m not sure I'm brave enough to say it.”

 

Lyra scoffed. “You're the bravest person I've ever met, Poe. If anything because…” the words died at the back of her throat. Suddenly she felt like there was a line too dangerous  to cross. It felt like she was ripping her heart open and letting all its contents pour out.

 

Then again, she was quite good at crossing lines.

 

“Because you're still... _ kind. _ You’d do anything for the people you care about, and you’d never run out on them. It's what... it's what made me fall in love with you.”

 

As the words fell from her lips, Poe fixed her with a stare that made all her doubts fade away; like she was the sun that made his world go round, even after all these years.

 

Encouraged by her words, he took another step forward and started to close the distance between them, but froze before his lips touched hers. “Wait...is this okay--?”

 

She cut him off, planting her mouth to his before she lost her courage to do so. He responded in kind, as he gently placed his hand to her cheek; his fingers splaying through her hair. 

 

Lyra couldn't count how many times she dreamt of this moment back at the Academy. Some fantasies were more ridiculous than others. She never imagined it’d take place on a landing strip of a military base, after years of separation, after having to watch him be tortured…

 

She forced away the terrible memories. She focused instead on his soft lips and his warm arms. For a second, she was able to convince herself they were still the young trainees they were at the Academy, but the illusion quickly popped as they parted.

 

Years of loneliness fell back on her shoulders and the guilt of betrayal sank back into her heart. Poe still looked like the young man she once knew, but there were subtle differences. The sadness in his eyes, the scar running down his upper cheek. She wondered who gave it to him, and how many other scars were hidden away from her view.

 

She kept her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb across the scar. “It's still too late for us, you know that, right?”

 

“I know.”

 

Lyra sighed deeply, closing the distance between them to press her forehead against his. “I’ll always care about you, Poe. So do me a favor, and don't die out there?”

 

His lips curled into a smile. “As long as you don't, either.”

 

“It's a deal.” Lyra replied softly, before parting from him once last time. She glanced back at the base. “I can't join the Resistance right now, but I will be out there fighting. Maybe one day our paths will cross again.”

 

“I hope so,” Poe replied as she began to walk back to her ship. She paused and turned so she could face him.

 

“Haven't you heard, Poe Dameron? Rebellions are built on hope.”

 

With a smile, she turned around and headed up the ramp of  _ the Ghost. _ A few minutes later, the ship soared off into the night sky and Poe was alone.

Rey leaned against the rail of the catwalk positioned over the landing strip. The wind blew gently at her hair as the sun was just beginning to rise.

 

She'd tossed and turned all night, mind reeling with all the new knowledge she had of her family. She had a brother, a sister, an aunt, and a cousin she never knew about. 

 

Jaina...her sister's name was Jaina. It was a beautiful name. Mara had said it with such fondness on the way back to D’Qar that Rey had to excuse herself to the fresher, tears falling for the sister she never got to know, that Ben had slaughtered in cold blood.

 

She thought there was hope for him, even after everything that happened. But there wasn't. He was a monster, one that would have to be eventually slain.

 

“You okay?”

 

Rey looked up in time to see Finn stepping up beside her. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she thought  of how close she’d been to losing him. Instinctively, she reached out and took his hand. He squeezed hers lightly, and threaded his fingers with hers.

 

“I've been better,” Rey admitted. “You?”

 

“I'm…” Finn trailed off. “I don't know. I just feel... _ lost. _ Like I'm wading through a sea that I can't even  _ see. _ ”

 

“That's exactly how I feel and it just gets deeper and deeper the more I learn about my family.” Rey sighed. “I always knew my family history was  _ complicated _ , but I never realized how complicated.”

 

“Solo told me,” Finn said. “About Ren, your sister...Mara, and Biggs.”

 

“It's one secret after the next. I don't even know my own family anymore. How am I supposed to learn the Force, too?”

 

Finn squeezed her hand again. “You’ve got me and Poe. We’ll be there with you the whole way.”

 

Rey met his gaze, and warmth spread across her chest as she took in Finn's open expression. It was a look she’d seen a thousand times in her life. It was the same expression her father gave her mother.

 

He knew what she needed to hear, and that was everything. Even if she didn't know what would happen next, what other family secret she’d uncover, she would have Finn and she would have Poe.

 

Rey leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you, Finn.”

 

The smile he gave her was brighter than the rising sun. “Always.”

 

They stared at each other a moment longer, smiling contently, until a voice interrupted the moment.

 

“What  _ are _ you two doing up so early?” 

 

Rey turned to see Poe walking up to them. He was still in his night clothes. His hair was fluffier than normal, and his voice was thick with sleep. 

 

“Couldn't sleep.” Rey and Finn said in unison.

 

“Must be going around,” Poe remarked, taking his spot beside Rey. His gaze focused on an empty spot on the landing strip.

 

“Heard anything from Lyra since she left?” Finn asked.

 

“No, and I don't think I will be. Not for a while, at least.” 

 

They grew silent as the sun peeked out from behind the mountains. It turned the sky into a beautiful shade of orange. 

 

“I knew. About your brother.” Poe said quietly, hanging his head. “I've known all along.”

 

Rey froze, feeling as though the rug had just been pulled out from under her feet. Her family keeping secrets had been bad enough, but Poe?

 

“I wanted to tell you--I almost did a few times--but I couldn't. Your parents wanted me to keep you safe, in case anything happened to them. It was my job to keep you safe. Not that I'm doing much good at it.”

 

Rey swallowed hard, a lump appearing in the back of her throat. The primal urge to run was taking over. She rocked back and forth on her heels, digging her nails into her palms.

 

“Is...is our friendship even real?” she asked, hating how her voice broke as she said it. Finn started to take a step back, to give them privacy, but she reached out and took his hand: A silent plea to stay.

 

Poe looked up suddenly, his eyes wide and watery. “Of course it's real, Rey. It's been real since we met--it’s why your parents asked me to do it. They knew how much I loved you, they knew I'd do anything to protect you.”

 

“That's the problem!” Rey snapped. “I'm tired of people protecting me...Finn almost  _ died _ facing Ben instead of me.” She let go of Finn's hand and marched toward Poe, who straightened to face her all the way.

 

“You should have told them  _ no, _ you should’ve ran as far away from me as possible, because as long as Ben is alive, everyone I care about is in danger. He  _ murdered _ my sister,  _ his  _ sister. Do you think he’d give a damn about  _ you? _ Did you ever think how I would feel if you  _ died  _ to protect me?” Rey shoved him in the chest. He took a small step back, his face expressionless. 

 

“And how do you think I felt when they took you?” Poe replied. “You could’ve died, or worse. I swore I’d protect you, and I'm not going to fail again. Now, you can hate me for the rest of your life, but you can't stop me from trying.”

 

“And you can't stop me, either.” Finn said from behind. “Because you're not going through this alone, Rey, and certainly not without someone watching your back.”

 

“I can't lose my best friend too, Rey.” Poe added softly.

 

Finn slipped his hand back into hers. She looked up at him, and he was giving her that  _ look _ again. “I don't want to lose you, either.” 

 

The flash of anger was fading quickly, but she felt more drained than ever before. Rey exhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she stretched out toward the Force to find calmness again.

 

It came to her easily, washing over her. She opened her eyes, and announced, “If you insist on protecting me, then you can't stop me from trying to protect  _ you _ two moon jockeys. 

 

“Wouldn't dream of it.” Poe said. “So...do you? Hate me, I mean.”

 

“I couldn't hate my best friend, Poe. I just don't want you to get hurt.” Rey replied.

 

The three of them lapsed back into silence, one filled with understanding. It lasted until Rey spoke again, an edge to her voice that wasn't there a moment ago.

 

“We need to defeat the First Order.” Rey said. “And I have to stop Ren.”

 

She sank down to the ground, Finn and Poe followed suit. 

 

“When do we start?” Poe asked.

 

She took Finn's hand, then Poe’s. No matter what happened, they’re be right with her. She couldn't stop them from risking their lives for the Resistance, or for her, but she could do her best to keep them safe.

 

She was a Jedi, like her sister before her. They would stop Kylo Ren, and the First Order. She would keep her friends and her family safe, and  _ that  _ was a vow.

 

“After the sunrise.” Rey answered, squeezing Finn’s hand. He smiled warmly at her, and she felt that maybe this wasn't just the start of a war, but something else entirely.

 

She shifted her focus away, turning to smile at Poe. Her brother, not by blood, but by bond. He smiled back at her.

 

_ These are your first steps _ , a voice in the wind whispered.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like? Please leave kudos or comments (any rude comments will be deleted)!
> 
> P.S: I headcanon Poe as biromantic, and Mason was, in my mind, Poe's boyfriend for awhile at the Academy. They're still friends today.


End file.
